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Recipe 13 ➺ Brendan Wessels

Recipe 13 ➺ Brendan Wessels

Chakalaka Chicken

Brendan Wessels is an innovative chef who is passionate about improving the hospitality industry and changing the often-toxic environment within restaurants. Wessels was born in South Africa and, prior to moving to Australia, worked at several world-class establishments around the globe. He has cooked for the likes of Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, David and Victoria Beckham and rock icon Billy Idol. Previously Wessels opened and operated the d’Arenberg Cube, and now takes the lead as the Executive Chef of Aurora Restaurant at Light ADL where his focus is on training and mentoring the next generation of chefs in what he describes as an incubator of
quality skills and attitudes.

INGREDIENTS & METHOD

TIMING
20mins prep time, plus marinating (24hrs)
45mins cooking time (approximately)
Serves 4


INGREDIENTS
Small Brown Onion
1 Medium Jalapeño
1 tsp Rajah Curry Powder
1/2 Red Capsicum
1/2 Yellow Capsicum
2 Large Carrots
2 Cups Green Cabbage
2 tsp White Vinegar
1/2 Tomato
1/2 Cup Baked Beans
1 Whole Chicken (Butterflied)
METHOD

Chakalaka
Firstly, peel the carrots and onion and set aside. Deseed the capsicum and wash together with the tomatoes. Peel the cabbage leaves apart, and wash carefully to remove any dirt. Finely chop the Jalapeños chilli’s and set aside. Once all vegetables are prepped and washed, slice very thinly into long strips. If you have a food processor, you can use the ‘jullienne’ attachment. Keep all the vegetables separate. In a large, hot saucepan, add the vegetable oil. Season with salt and sweat off onions until translucent. Add the curry powder and cook for 4 minutes, add the tomatoes and cook out for additional 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and baked beans and cook out until softened. Season with vinegar and white pepper. Adjust salt as required. We allow our Chakalaka to sit for a few weeks first to develop flavour and mature, then blend it to a puree to baste the Chicken with on the braai.

Chicken
Marinade the whole chicken with the Chakalaka for at least 24 hours before use. Try to purchase a chicken that has already been butterflied down the centre. If this is not available, using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the whole chicken straight down the back, cutting either side of the spinal column. ‘Score’ the legs by cutting deep incisions into the meat. Vigorously rub the Chakalaka into the whole chicken, finishing with a thick layer of marinade throughout. Once it has marinated for the required time, cook over medium coals for at least twenty minutes until juices run clear, turning regularly. If you have one, an internal probe thermometer can be used to check the meat is at 72º. Serve with fresh curry leaves and lemon.

Wine List

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Availability
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Country
Region
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Closure
Style
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Acmé Vineyards Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2024
$34.00
Progressive
Acmé Vineyards - Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2024 Red Wine
Brokenwood 'Twenty70' White Blend 2022
$42.00
Progressive
Brokenwood - 'Twenty70' White Blend 2022 White Wine
Golden Child Tropicana White Blend 2022
$28.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Golden Child - Tropicana White Blend 2022 Orange Wine
Sigurd RAG Red Blend 2023
$25.00
Progressive
Sigurd - RAG Red Blend 2023 Red Wine
FIN Mahady Roussanne 2022
$33.00
Lo-fi / Natural
FIN - Mahady Roussanne 2022 Orange Wine
Vanita Grillo 2021
$28.00
Traditional
Vanita - Grillo 2021 White Wine
Alpha Box & Dice Wendy Pinot Noir 2024
$32.00
Progressive
Alpha Box & Dice - Wendy Pinot Noir 2024 Red Wine
Palmetto Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022
$24.00
Progressive
Palmetto - Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022 Red Wine
Alpha Box & Dice Tarot Pinot Grigio 2022
$24.00
Progressive
Alpha Box & Dice - Tarot Pinot Grigio 2022 White Wine
Alpha Box & Dice Enigma Barbera 2023
$36.00
Progressive
Alpha Box & Dice - Enigma Barbera 2023 Red Wine
Fumey Chatelain Arbois Savagnin Ouillé 2021
$99.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Fumey Chatelain - Arbois Savagnin Ouillé 2021 White Wine
Blind Corner Blanc White Blend 2022
$27.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Blind Corner - Blanc White Blend 2022 White Wine
Fabrizio Vella Rosso Organico Nero d'Avola 2022
$26.00
Progressive
Fabrizio Vella - Rosso Organico Nero d'Avola 2022 Red Wine
Sven Joschke La Lulu Chardonnay 2023
$33.00
Progressive
Sven Joschke - La Lulu Chardonnay 2023 White Wine
Les Athletes du Vin Chenin Blanc 2023
$44.00
Progressive
Les Athletes du Vin - Chenin Blanc 2023 White Wine
Unico Zelo Fresh AF Nero d'Avola / Zibbibo 2023
$28.00
Progressive
Unico Zelo - Fresh AF Nero d'Avola / Zibbibo 2023 Red Wine
Le Rocher Des Violettes Touche Mitaine Sec Chenin Blanc 2021
$58.00
Traditional
Le Rocher Des Violettes - Touche Mitaine Sec Chenin Blanc 2021 White Wine
Vanguardist La Petite Vanguard Iberion White Blend 2023
$32.00
Progressive
Vanguardist - La Petite Vanguard Iberion White Blend 2023 White Wine
Two Tonne Tasmania Tamar Valley Pinot Noir 2023
$38.00
Progressive
Two Tonne Tasmania - Tamar Valley Pinot Noir 2023 Red Wine
Chalmers Falanghina 2022
$33.00
Progressive
Chalmers - Falanghina 2022 White Wine
Konpira Maru Pan Opticon Riesling / Pinot Gris / Gewürztraminer 2023
$28.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Konpira Maru - Pan Opticon Riesling / Pinot Gris / Gewürztraminer 2023 White Wine
FIN Yay! Pinot Noir 2024
$33.00
Lo-fi / Natural
FIN - Yay! Pinot Noir 2024 Red Wine
Palmetto Shiraz 2022
$24.00
Progressive
Palmetto - Shiraz 2022 Red Wine
Sybille Kuntz Riesling Trocken 2022
$66.00
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Sybille Kuntz - Riesling Trocken 2022 White Wine
Troppo Pinot Noir 2024
$29.00
Progressive
Troppo - Pinot Noir 2024 Red Wine
Gullyview Estate Countryside Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
$32.00
Progressive
Gullyview Estate - Countryside Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Red Wine
Sven Joschke Chardonnay Pét Nat 2022
$30.00
Progressive
Sven Joschke - Chardonnay Pét Nat 2022 Sparkling Wine
Gullyview Estate Light Red 2024
$32.00
Progressive
Gullyview Estate - Light Red 2023 Red Wine
Longview Vista Shiraz / Barbera 2022
$26.00
Progressive
Longview - Vista Shiraz / Barbera 2022 Red Wine
Alpha Box & Dice Tarot Pinot Grigio 2023
$24.00
Progressive
Alpha Box & Dice - Tarot Pinot Grigio 2023 White Wine
Poggio Anima Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2023
$26.00
Traditional
Poggio Anima - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2022 Red Wine
Domaine Des Malandes Melon De Bourgogne Melon Blanc 2022
$48.00
Traditional
Domaine Des Malandes - Melon De Bourgogne Melon Blanc 2022 White Wine
Domaine Rolet Arbois Savagnin Ouillé 2022
$68.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Domaine Rolet - Arbois Savagnin Ouillé 2022 White Wine
Sven Joschke La Rouge Clair Light Red 2023
$34.00
Progressive
Sven Joschke - La Rouge Clair Light Red 2023 Red Wine
Stefano Lubiana Primavera Chardonnay 2023
$56.00
Traditional
Stefano Lubiana - Primavera Chardonnay 2023 White Wine
Domaine Rolet L'Etoile Blanc Chardonnay 2022
$65.00
Lo-fi / Natural
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Jauma Danby Grenache 2023
$40.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Jauma - Danby Grenache 2023 Red Wine
Spinifex Muscat a Petit Grains 2023
$32.00
Progressive
Spinifex - Muscat a Petit Grains 2023 White Wine
Domaine Rolet Cotes du Jura Savagnin 2015
$89.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Domaine Rolet - Cotes du Jura Savagnin 2015 White Wine
Troppo Grenache 2024
$26.00
Progressive
Troppo - Grenache 2024 Red Wine
Fumey Chatelain Arbois Chardonnay 2022
$75.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Fumey Chatelain - Arbois Chardonnay 2022 White Wine
Alpha Box & Dice Corrugated Castle Chardonnay 2023
$60.00
Progressive
Alpha Box & Dice - Corrugated Castle Chardonnay 2023 White Wine
Sigurd Grenache 2022
$38.00
Progressive
Sigurd - Grenache 2022 Red Wine
Sigurd Chenin Blanc 2023
$38.00
Progressive
Sigurd - Chenin Blanc 2022 White Wine
Rising Chardonnay 2023
$36.00
Progressive
Rising - Chardonnay 2023 White Wine
Brian Wines 3 Pinots Blend 2022 375ml
$22.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Brian Wines - 3 Pinots Blend 2022 375ml Red Wine
Poggio Anima Pecorino 2023
$26.00
Traditional
Poggio Anima - Pecorino 2022 White Wine
Sherrah Chenin Blanc 2024
$32.00
Progressive
Sherrah - Chenin Blanc 2024 White Wine
Sigurd Red Blend 2022
$33.00
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Sigurd - Red Blend 2022 Red Wine
Minimum Wines The Moon Is An Apricot Fiano 2023
$38.00
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Minimum Wines - The Moon Is An Apricot Fiano 2023 White Wine
Montevento Pinot Grigio 2023
$26.00
Traditional
Montevento - Pinot Grigio 2023 White Wine
Golden Child Unknown Road Grenache 2022
$32.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Golden Child - Unknown Road Grenache 2022 Red Wine
Basket Range Wine Estate Chardonnay 2023
$50.00
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Basket Range Wine - Estate Chardonnay 2023 White Wine
Foradori Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco 2023
$60.00
Lo-fi / Natural
Foradori - Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco 2023 White Wine
Debussy Rêverie Grenache 2020
$24.00
Traditional
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Lansdowne Wines Valley Chardonnay 2022
$40.00
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Lansdowne Wines - Valley Chardonnay 2022 White Wine