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- Favourite ingredient: Garlic
- Least favourite flavour: Sour
- Top kitchen tool: Her trusty knife
- Always in stock: Eggs and jam
- Favourite restaurant: Ocean Basket
- Dream foodie trip: Paris
- Chef she admires: Onezwa Mbola
- Comfort food: Pasta
- Food trends she’d end: Devilled Eggs and Chicken à la King
As City Lodge Hotels continues to honour heritage and homegrown talent, chefs like Sanele remind us that the best stories are told through food. Happy Africa Day from our kitchens to yours! 
Sanele’s Slow Roasted Lamb Shank
(Serves 4)
Chef Sanele Zikhali at Town Lodge Umhlanga has created a new take on the traditional lamb shank, served on creamy sweet potato mash, and topped with a flavourful red wine sauce – the perfect winter warmer!
Meat:
Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups olive oil
15ml (1 tbsp) ground pepper
5ml (1 tsp) salt
6 sprigs thyme (fresh)
4 sprigs rosemary (fresh)
pinch of any aromatic flavour
85ml (1/3 cup) red wine
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2) Add all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine. 3) Pour the marinade over the meat.
4) Transfer the marinated meat into the cooking tray.
5) Cover the meat with foil and cook for 2 hours.
6) Keep checking the meat so that it does not fall off the bone.
7) Once the meat is cooked, keep the bone marrow aside for the sauce.
Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
60ml (1/4 cup) butter
1 jalapeno (minced)
sprig rosemary and thyme (finely chopped)
1 cup cream
pinch of any aromatic flavour
lamb shank bone marrow
60ml (1/4 cup) cheddar cheese
Method:
1) Place saucepan on the stove over a low heat – keep heat low so you 2) don’t burn the sauce.
3) Melt the butter. When melted and hot, add the garlic, jalapeno and chopped herbs.
4) Mix all together to create the sauce and cook until golden brown.
5) Add the cream and cheese, and stir until combined.
6) Add seasoning to taste and remove from the heat.
7) Ready to serve
Creamy Sweet Potato Mash:
Ingredients:
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 cup cream
2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges
Method:
1) Boil the sweet potato.
2) Once cooked, remove the water and add cream and Laughing Cow cheese wedges to the potatoes, and mash until smooth.
3) Add a little Aromat to taste – no other seasoning required.
To serve, add a dollop of creamy sweet potato mash onto the plate and top with a lamb shank and sprigs of rosemary, then pour on the sauce. You can add some quick roasted vegetables or other veggies of your choice, or top with a slice of charred orange for extra visual appeal and tang. Bon appetit!