A number of Franschhoek’s top chefs will pair their delectable dishes with the wines of the local wine estates at ‘Cook Franschhoek’, running from 13 – 15 June, sharing their special cooking tips, reflecting the food trend of getting back to basics.

Spread around the wine estates and restaurants of Franschhoek, the participating chefs will allow workshop participants into their domains, and share their cooking secrets, while the winemakers will guide the attendees on choosing the most suitable wines to pair with each dish made.  At the end of each workshop, the dishes cooked and the wines paired will be available to taste.  It also allows one to interact with the chefs and winemakers in small groups, and to ask more specific questions.

The participating Franschhoek chefs subscroibe to the cooking basics, such as ‘snout-to-tail’ food usage, meaning that every piece of an animal such as a pig is used (such as witnessed on MasterChef SA Season 2 when Chef Chris Erasmus of Pierneef à La Motte cooked a pig’s head to make a terrine); sourcing ingredients fresh from the farm to the table, within close proximity to the restaurants; smoking meats, charcuterie being the speciality of Chef Neil Jewell of Bread & Wine; cooking over a fire, including a rotisserie, a Green Egg, and Weber; and Nordic cooking techniques of pickling, fermenting, and preserving.

The following chefs and winemakers will participate in ‘Cook Franschhoek’, offering workshops of varying durations which are reflected in the prices, and a number of them offering repeat workshops over the three day programme:

*   Chef Pieter de Jager of Leopard’s Leap will demonstrate making roast pork belly, while winemaker Eugene van Zyl will talk about the Leopard’s Leap wines.  R220.

*   Shirley Guy of Fransvliet Guest House will demonstrate cooking a whole meal in a Weber, while Lynx Wines’ Dieter Sellmeyer will talk about his wines.  R 550

*   Chef Maryna Frederiksen of Cosecha Restaurant at Noble Hill will demonstrate the making of Spanish tapas while Kristopher Tillery will introduce the estate’s wines.  R305

*   Allora Chef Roaan Erasmus will demonstrate hand-making pasta. R275

*   Chef Michelle Theron of Pierneef à La Motte will demonstrate making traditional Cape Winelands Cuisine desserts such as apple tart and fynbos macaroons. R275

*   Chef Julia Hattingh from Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz will demonstrate baking winter desserts, and will lead the wine pairing. R145

*   Chef HW Pieterse of the Terra del Capo Tasting Room will take his workshop attendees to the vegetable garden to pick produce, and then teach them how to pickle and preserve it.  Dawie Botha will present Anthonij Rupert Wines. R275

*   Chef Reuben Riffel will take his attendees to La Bourgogne, showing them how olive oil is made and olives are pickled, take them on a guided tour of Reuben’s Franschhoek, and then lunch will be served at his home.  Wines will be paired by Dawie Botha of Anthonij Rupert Wines. R2350.

*   The House of GM & Ahrens is using Chef Duncan Doherty to prepare a seafood pairing menu, while the wines will be presented by Albert Ahrens, with a vertical tasting.  R3850

*   Haute Cabrière Chef Ryan Shell and Takuan von Arnim will pair five cheeses with five Haute Cabriere wines and Pierre Jourdan MCCs. R275

*   Chef Chris Erasmus of Pierneef à  La Motte will lead a mushroom forage, wherafter Chef Michelle Theron will demonstrate making oxtail tortellini, mushroom fondue and parmesan foam. R275

*   Haute Cabriere Chef Ryan Shell prepares a six course ‘locavore’ dinner paired by Takuan von Arnim with Pinot Noirs. R770

*   Chef Neil Jewell of Bread & Wine will demonstrate a number of dishes, wine being paired by Môreson winemaker Clayton Reabow. R330

Limited spaces are available for each workshop, and bookings are on a first come first served basis.  Some workshops are already sold out.

Cook Franschhoek, Franschhoek Wine Valley. Franschhoek.  Tel (021) 876-2861. www.cookfranschhoek.co.za  Twitter: @Franschhoek_SA   Tickets available via www.webtickets.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage