For the past six years, Pierneef a La Motte’s Chef Chris Erasmus and culinary manager Hetta Terreblanche have been on a historical journey. Trawling the archives at Cape Town library, and translating scribbled recipes written in high Dutch, the pair have been unearthing forgotten South African food. In a month’s time, says Chris, their latest research will be unveiled in Pierneef a La Motte’s new autumn menu.

Known for adventurous remixes of traditional boerekos, the restaurant’s new autumn menu will go back even further, to truly historical South African food, with dishes eaten in the Cape prior to the 1800s.

Some of these new, old dishes include crispy smoked pork belly served with almond butterfly prawns, roasted garlic, tomato jam, pomme purée and crayfish caramel. There will also be a delicious-sounding roast wildebees loin with honey and turnip gratin, served with asparagus, red cabbage marmalade, Cape Tawny and Shiraz jus and crispy sweetbreads. For a lighter meal, guests can opt for roasted red pepper, cashew nut and chilli risotto, with forest mushrooms and goats cheese tortellini.

In addition to using new recipes, the new menu also, for the first time, makes use of harvest from the estate’s very own organic vegetable garden. “The pumpkins are amazing”, says Chris, who now has an impressive four varieties to choose from, as well as butternuts and squash, and a vast array of fresh herbs.

“It’s hearty ouma se kos,” says Chris . All in all, it sounds like a fabulous option for winter.

By Katharine Jacobs