With Easter looking very different for everyone this year, and all restaurants being closed, we asked a few chefs what they’re planning to cook at home.

Nicole Loubser – Head chef at GÅTE Restaurant @ Quoin Rock Wine Estate in Stellenbosch
I was lucky enough to just make it home to Namibia before the lockdown started, so will be celebrating Easter with my family. We’ll be having roast chicken with wild rice and mixed salad, followed by homemade waffles and ice cream!

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A post shared by Nicole Loubser (@nicoleloubser) on Dec 5, 2019 at 1:51pm PST

Darren O’Donovan – Head chef at Aurum Restaurant in Joburg
This year, much like the others, will no doubt start with toasted hot cross buns smothered in butter that, when you bite into the butter, you can see the teeth-mark evidence! However, being in lockdown, we find ourselves in Hoedspruit with the family, and obviously with more spare time on our hands to get creative! We are busy finalising a home-crafted open-fire rotisserie, which we’ll use to cook our leg of lamb. It will be smothered in all the usual suspects of garlic, rosemary, coarse salt and pepper, as well as lots of olive oil. 

Being in Hoedspruit, it’s rather hot, so we’ll be freshening it up by creating our own filled pitas, with various dips and salsas. Tzatziki, hummus, olive tapenade, tomato-onion salsa, shaved aubergine, and of course the fire-roasted lamb, finished with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. As for desserts, everyone will settle for the rest of the afternoon with their favourite type of chocolate!

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A post shared by AURUM (@aurumrestaurantza) on Dec 6, 2019 at 12:47am PST

Charné Sampson – Head chef at Epice Restaurant in Franschhoek
For Good Friday we always have my mom’s pickled fish (she’s already started making it). Seeing as it’s lockdown, we’ll probably have the leftovers for Sunday lunch and I’ll make some hot cross buns. Seeing as my family can’t all be together, we aren’t going all out, but we’ll be cooking a crayfish curry, some naan or rice to go with it, and sambals. Dessert will have to be brownies with ice cream and speckled eggs.

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A post shared by Epice Restaurant (@epice_franschhoek) on Nov 7, 2019 at 3:04am PST

John van Zyl – Head chef at The Melting Pot Cafeteria in Cape Town
I’ll be making chicken, mushroom and leek pot pie with roasted garlic and chive mash. Dessert will be carrot-and-pecan-nut cake with lemon-and-orange mascarpone frosting.

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A post shared by John van Zyl (@john_vanzyl) on Dec 22, 2018 at 6:28am PST

Kerry Kilpin – Head chef at Tryn in Cape Town
I’ll be cooking Weber-roasted leg of lamb with a rosemary, thyme, marjoram, salt and garlic rub, served with minted yoghurt, halloumi and cocktail tomato salad, and roasted Hasselback potatoes. While the lamb is roasting, we’ll probably be snacking on leftover pickled fish (if there are any leftovers). Then, for dessert, an assortment of Easter eggs!