Ostrich fillet with dukkah crust and mango curry

Dissolve the tamarind in the hot water.

Roast cumin in oven and then blend to a powder in a grinder or pestle and mortar.

Combine the cumin with roughly chopped onion, garlic & chilli and blend to a paste.

Heat some oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds.

When they start to pop, add the onion mixture. Then add the turmeric followed by the tamarind, sugar and rest of the water.

Cook for about 15 minutes or until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken; at this stage add the diced mango, cook for a further 5 minutes and then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the ostrich with the dukkah and grill or braai rare or medium rare.

Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, warm the mango curry and spoon it in the middle of the plate.

Slice the ostrich and arrange it on top of the mango. Garnish with fresh coriander.
 
TIP:

Ostrich is an incredibly healthy meat as it has virtually no fat and, as a result, is lower in cholesterol than turkey.

But as with all grilled or braaied meats, the taste comes from either the fat or the blood; so with no fat, all the flavour comes from the blood, and the braai adds taste too.

It is therefore very important to cook ostrich rare, or at most medium rare. Any more, and it becomes dry, stringy and tasteless.

Recipe by Chef Pete Goffe-Wood.