This month, we’re excited to share a few exceptional proudly SA Ostrich recipes with you. If you’ve travelled to Oudtshoorn before, you will have undoubtedly seen the large flocks of Ostriches farmed in the area. Ostriches are worth so much more in South Africa than just a huge omelette for breakfast, a cholesterol free steak, or a mouth-watering roast. In SA, Ostriches are widely farmed for their meat, eggs, and feathers – yes, but they are also a great tourism draw card. In SA, you can ride an Ostrich, pet it or even cuddle it if your heart so desires.
The main areas in SA where you can find Ostriches farmed are the main Southern Cape areas from George to Swellendam and in the Klein Karoo too. You may also notice that it is becoming more popular in the Eastern Cape areas of Graaff Reinet and Aliwal North too. It might come as a surprise to you (if you don’t know Ostriches), that the Ostrich is actually native to Africa. And the Stuthio Camelus Australis is the South African Ostrich, endemic to South Africa. These Ostriches are also called the Black-Necked Ostrich, Cape Ostrich, or Southern Ostrich.
Most Popular Ostrich Recipes
Ostrich recipes in SA have been passed on from generation to generation in the country. Most families have their favourite Ostrich steak recipe, Ostrich egg recipe, and roasted Ostrich recipe readily available for when the craving comes knocking. Some might say that “it’s a South African thing”. Now that you’re out of the country, perhaps it is time that you too had your own favourite Ostrich recipe, to pass on to friends and colleagues, but also to have a reminiscent taste of home at hand. Let’s jump right in to our top 3 Ostrich recipes.
Ostrich Steak Recipe – Red Wine, Mushroom & Beetroot
This one will get your mouth watering before you even cook it! This recipe provides a generous serving for 4 people.
What You Need:
- 200g Ostrich fillets x 4
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 15g of butter
- 20 g of butter (separate from the 15g)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 large black mushrooms
- 1 handful of button mushrooms
- 2 medium onions (cut into quarters)
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary
- 1 grated garlic clove (you can also use crushed garlic)
- 1 and ½ cups of red wine (choose your favourite)
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 250g of cooked beetroot (cut this into blocks)
What to Do:
Whipping up this dish is easier than you might think.
- Caramelize the onions over medium heat in the 1 tablespoon of oil and 15g of butter. This takes around 10 minutes.
- Add the thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and mushrooms and fry for another 10 minutes.
- Add the red wine and garlic and allow to bubble.
- Add the chicken stock and tomato paste to the mix, and simmer. It should reduce by half and thicken in consistency.
- Add the 20g of butter and let it melt in.
- Then, sieve the mix and add the beetroot blocks to the sieved liquid. Set this to one side. Don’t throw the big pieces of onion and big mushrooms away – keep these for later.
- In a pan, heat the oil and fry the Ostrich steaks to medium. Season the meat according to your own preferences.
- Add the onions and mushrooms to this and fry along with the steak. Then, remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for around 10 minutes.
- Add the wine mixture to the steak juices in the pan and mix it in.
- Serve the steak on a plate with some of the onion and mushroom pieces on top. Pour the wine sauce over the steak and place the beetroot blocks on top or around the steak.
Scrambled Ostrich Egg Recipe
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on an entire Ostrich egg, you are in for a treat. The concept of scrambled eggs is certainly taken up a notch with Ostrich egg! One Ostrich egg can comfortably feed 8 to 10 people. Remember that a quarter cup of Ostrich egg is the equivalent of 1 chicken egg. This recipe is almost fine dining and serves 3 or 4.
What You Need:
- ¾ cup of Ostrich egg (whisked)
- 2 tablespoons of coconut cream (or regular milk if you wish)
- ¼ teaspoon of mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon of dry parsley
- Handful of fresh basil
- Handful of fresh rocket
- Pepper and salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
What to Do:
If you want to keep the eggshell, make sure that you knock or carefully drill a hole in the bottom of the eggshell and drain the egg out. If you have no plans for the shell, break it as per normal.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- While it is heating, whisk the coconut cream, mustard powder and turmeric into the Ostrich egg and add the salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mix into the pan and allow it to simmer gently.
- Once it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan, add the dry parsley, fresh basil, and fresh rocket.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently disrupt the egg cooking at odd intervals to get nice fluffy scramble chunks.
- When there is no longer any liquid egg in the pan, it’s cooked and ready to serve.
- Serve this with crisp hot toast or warm fresh rolls and tomato sauce.
Roasted Ostrich Recipe – Fillet with Mushroom Marmalade
This is a firm favourite for a cold winter’s night or a breezy summer day. Prepare to enjoy an undeniable more-ish experience! This recipe serves 4.
What You Need:
- 450g of Ostrich fillet
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ cup of chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of sherry (you can use port or red wine too)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- You can steam some rice and spinach to serve.
For the mushroom marmalade you need:
- 400g of chopped mushrooms (can be mixed varieties)
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of sherry or red wine.
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 grated garlic clove
- Salt and pepper to taste
What to Do:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Brown the Ostrich fillet in a frying pan using the oil and butter combined.
- Remove the fillet from the frying pan and place them in a roasting pan.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast at 180 degrees Celsius for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the fillet from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes on a wooden cutting board.
To Make Mushroom Marmalade:
- Fry mushrooms in a pan on high heat in the butter – they should turn golden brown.
- Stir the garlic and sugar into the mixture and cook until the sugar forms syrup.
- Stir the vinegar and sherry/wine into the pan and cook on high until the mushrooms appear glazed and sticky. Season to taste.
Slice the steak thinly and pour the mushroom marmalade over it. Serve this with rice and baby spinach leaves.
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