Enjoy The Plettenberg Hotel’s Delicious Ancient Grain Salad Recipe

Plettenberg Bay in South Africa is a popular international travel destination. Situated on a rocky headland on a pristine coastline with gorgeous endless sandy beaches is a five-star Small Luxury Hotel of the World aptly called the Plettenberg Bay Hotel. The hotel is renowned for its mesmerizing ocean vistas, food, and beautifully appointed accommodation. Here you will find The Restaurant, complete with an outdoor terrace that is ideal for alfresco dining. Head Chef Kyle Macaskill shares his delicious and healthy ancient grain salad with Longevity.

The Horizon Meets the Sea at The Plettenberg Hotel

The Plettenberg, situated on a rocky headland in Plettenberg Bay, along the famous Garden Route – is the ultimate South African seaside escape. The bespoke property has 35 beautifully appointed rooms and two family-style villas, showcasing the most breathtaking vistas of Southern Africa, with views of the ocean, mountains, and endless stretches of golden sand.

Guests enjoy world-class cuisine courtesy of The Restaurant at The Plettenberg. Chef Kyle Macaskill loves to hone his culinary skills daily and enjoys sharing the joy of food with his guests.

‘I enjoy experimenting with food and my aim is to execute the perfect marriage of flavours, using local produce to create dishes that will entice the diner’s senses. I find it deeply satisfying to create art on a plate. From sight to smell to taste, I like to create a memorable experience for the diner, leaving them wanting to come back for more.’

Inspired to eat well

This recipe is inspired by autumn harvests and uses local organic produce. While we associate salads with summer, they are a filling and healthy alternative during the colder months, when we are prone to pile on the kilos.

The Plettenberg Hotel’s Secret Vinaigrette

• 100ml white wine vinegar
• 50ml water 
• 50ml oil
• A squeeze of lemon juice 
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A dash of salt 
• ½ tsp ground cumin

Method

In a bowl or blender, add all the ingredients together and whisk/blend until all the ingredients are well mixed. (Tip – place ingredients in a jar with a screw-on lid and shake well). Add salt to taste.

Salad Ingredients

• 100g mixed quinoa 
• 100g crushed buckwheat
• 100g black or whole grain brown rice
• ½ a fresh pineapple, sliced 
• 1 cup diced butternut 
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 radishes, finely sliced 
• ½ scallion sliced
• ½ a cup sliced cucumber 
• 200g mixed salad leaves (washed)
• 50g rocket (washed)
• A packet of edible flowers, micro shoots, or bean sprouts
• Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Method

1. In separate pots, cook the grains in plain water, following the instructions on the package (adding salt will now cause the grains to toughen and take longer to cook). Once cooked, place in a strainer, rinse with cold water, and place in the fridge to cool.
2.  In a hot pan or on a griddle, sear the pineapple until lightly browned, this will caramelize the natural sugars, toning down the sweetness. Allow to cool and then dice.
3. In a pan over medium heat, slowly brown the butternut, and you can add a touch of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt to help the process along. Once the butternut is cooked through but firm to the touch, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Once all ingredients are cool, in a large bowl toss the grains together, add in the pineapple, butternut, cherry tomatoes, sliced radish, scallion, and cucumber.
5. Add ½ the vinaigrette to the salad and toss, the grains will absorb the vinaigrette. At this point, taste the grains to see if you need to add more vinaigrette and a touch of salt to season. Keep adding the vinaigrette until you are happy that the flavor comes through.
6. To serve, layer the bottom of your salad bowl with the mixed lettuce and rocket.  Spoon the three grains mix on top of the salad leaves and garnish with edible flowers, bean sprouts, or micro greens. Serve with any left-over vinaigrette on the side.

About the Plettenberg Hotel’s Head Chef Kyle Macaskill

Kyle Macaskill is the Head Chef at The Plettenberg, a member of The Liz McGrath Collection and Small Luxury Hotels of the World. He has 16 years of solid industry experience to his name. Kyle has spent the last eleven years at the sister property, The Cellars-Hohenort.

He trained at the South African Chefs Academy and completed an Advanced Diploma in Culinary Arts under Garth Stroebel and Paul Hartmann. Macaskill says he is dedicated to his craft and finds it deeply satisfying to create art on a plate.