Creamy Biltong Pasta
Biltong, mushrooms and mustard season a restrained cream sauce, with most of the biltong added at the last moment.
South African01Mushrooms add depth without requiring more cream.
02A little biltong seasons the sauce.
03Most biltong stays tender when added last.
Cook it calmly.
- 01
Brown the mushrooms
Cook mushrooms in butter in a wide hot pan until deeply coloured.
- 02
Make the sauce
Lower the heat, add cream and mustard, then simmer gently for 3 minutes.
- 03
Add some biltong
Stir in one third of the biltong and 100 ml pasta water to season the sauce.
- 04
Finish
Toss with fettuccine, lemon and parsley. Fold in the remaining biltong off heat.
Common mistakes
- Salting before tasting.
- Boiling the biltong.
- Using too much cream.
The detail that changes the dish.
Biltong is already cured and ready to eat. Boil it for ten minutes and it starts behaving like an expensive shoelace.
Biltong is seasoning as well as protein
Biltong brings salt, coriander spice and concentrated beef flavour to a simple mushroom cream sauce. Using it in two stages seasons the pan while preserving tender slices for serving.
This is proudly South African pasta. It borrows useful sauce technique without pretending the combination comes from Italy.
Add most of the biltong last
A small portion can flavour the warm cream. The rest belongs off heat, where cured beef stays supple.
Biltong is already cured and ready to eat. Boil it for ten minutes and it starts behaving like an expensive shoelace.
At the table
Serve with lemon and parsley, not extra cheese.
Later, if needed
Refrigerate for 2 days. Reheat very gently with water. Do not freeze.
Be realistic
Do not freeze; cream and cured meat both suffer.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my biltong tough?+
It cooked too long. Fold most of it through after the pan leaves the heat.
Should I add salt?+
Wait until the biltong has seasoned the sauce, then taste.
