Make Valentine’s Day a Tasty Event with Spekko Rice!

Khaya Silingile developed these fabulous 2 course Valentine’s Celebration dinner recipes for Spekko Rice. Watch her cook them in Episode 2 of Spekko Rice’s Kasi Kitchen.

The broadcast is on Friday 8 February at 6.15 pm on Soweto TV, DSTV 251.

Enjoy Baked Lamb shanks with herbed rice, followed by a fabulous dessert especially developed for Spekko Rice. It is possibly the best rice dessert you will ever taste.

Baked lamb shanks with herbed rice

• 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 4 lamb shanks (for better presentation you can French trim these)
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red pepper, coarsely chopped
• 30ml (2 tbsp) paprika
• 150g dried figs, stalks removed, halved
• 1 X 410g can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups (500ml) beef stock
• 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 250ml (1cup) Spekko Parboiled Long Grain Rice
• 30ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh mint
• 30ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh coriander
• 30ml (2tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
• 7,5ml (1 1/2 tbsp)fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Heat half the oil in a deep saucepan which you can also put in the oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining oil in the pot. Add onion, pepper and paprika and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until just soft.
3. Place the lamb on top of the onion mixture. Top with the fig, tomato, stock and rosemary.
4. Cover and seal pot with lid or foil. Bake covered for 2 hours. After two hours remove foil and cook for further 30 minutes uncovered. Baste meat with juices from the pot.
5. Meanwhile, cook rice as per packaging instructions. Once cooked transfer to a large bowl.
6. Stir in mint, coriander, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Divide among serving plates and top with lamb shanks.

Chocolate rice pudding with Amarula caramelised pears

• 60g butter
• 30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar
• 2 pears, unpeeled, cut into 5mm-thick slices
• 125ml (1/4 cup) Amarula liqueur

Chocolate rice pudding

• 5 cups milk
• 1 x 6cm cinnamon stick
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 40g butter, chopped
• 100g Spekko Fragrant Rice
• 250ml (1 cup) white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup caster sugar

1. To make the chocolate rice pudding, bring the milk, cinnamon and nutmeg just to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low and hold at a gentle simmer.
2. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the grains appear slightly glassy.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add about 1/2 cup of the simmering milk mixture to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the milk mixture, a ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next, for 35 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and creamy.
4. Add chocolate and sugar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until chocolate melts and the mixture is well combined.
5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, allow to dissolve into caramel like state. Add pears and half the Amarula. Cook, turning once, for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the remaining Amarula.
6. Divide the risotto among serving bowls. Top with the apple slices and drizzle over the sauce to serve