The Sweet Side of Life…
If you wander down Rua Braamcamp in Lisbon, Portugal, you’ll come across one of the city’s best coffee and pastry shops called Simpli. Reviewers on Trip Adviser give the venue five stars and all, without exception, rave about the freshly roasted coffee and the breads and cakes that are made on the premises several times a day.
And if you sneak into Simpli’s small kitchen, you are likely to bump into a tall young man by the name of Hendrik Pretorius, elbow deep in mixing bowls, creating delectable treats for their customers. Pretorius, 26, who originally hails from Heidelberg in Gauteng, is living the dream and doing what he loves to do. We spoke to him about his journey so far and his plans to release a pastry cook book. He also generously shares his grandmother’s wonderful Malva Pudding recipe with us.
Where are you originally from and where does your family live now?
I grew up in Heidelberg in Gauteng. My father still lives there, but the rest of my family, including my brother, now lives in Pretoria.
Tell us about your training?
I enrolled to do a Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation & Cooking at Capsicum Culinary Studio. I chose Capsicum because they offer a programme in culinary arts that is accredited internationally by City & Guilds, which helps you enter the international marketplace. They also have highly skilled lecturers with years of experience and great partnerships with the likes of the Swiss Education Group, TAFE Western Sydney Institute and the South African Chefs Association. Studying with Capsicum enabled me to obtain internationally recognised qualifications and set me up to be registered for a two year membership of the SA Chefs Association. I also found the campus was equipped with top notch facilities and demonstration stations.
Tell us about your journey from graduation to where you are today.
My journey started before I graduated as I was working weekends to gain experience while studying and completing my placement with Kieviets Kroon Country Estate in Pretoria. I really had the desire to work abroad, to gain international experience, so after I finished my placement I applied through an agency to work in Dubai. I arrived in Dubai in mid-2016 and was offered a position in the pastry section of a newly opened Japanese concept restaurant called Kyo Café and Lounge. After 17 months there I moved to the Renaissance Hotel, and worked in their pastry kitchen as well as in their Morimoto Restaurant. A year later I was offered the job of pastry chef at Simpli, and here I am!
What are you doing to keep yourself occupied during lockdown?
Having been exposed to loads of fantastic experiences and having had so many wonderful memories up to now, I decided to fulfil a dream that I have always had, which is to write a cookbook filled with stories and recipes that I have picked up along the way. Lockdown has given me the opportunity to focus on that as well as time to think about the recipes I want to work on and develop further. I have also learned how to make Portuguese sourdough bread and pastel de nata, which are traditional Portuguese tarts.
What are going to do once lockdown ends?
I want to finish the book – which I am calling The Sweet Side of Life – get it published and then travel around Europe promoting it. I’ll also use the opportunity to try the local cuisine of each country I visit. So when it is safe to travel again l will definitely be heading off.
What three things are always in your fridge?
Butter, cream and eggs
What is your favourite meal?
I really love fresh pasta.
What do you not eat?
Offal!
Do you follow/admire any celebrity chefs?
Jamie Oliver, whose books and TV shows I have loved since I was young, and Jordi Roca, a pastry chef whose desserts have no boundaries and whose creativity is just brilliant.
What would you like to be doing in five years time?
I have a second book in mind that I want to do with a close friend who is a barista. It will be around pairing coffee and coffee-flavoured beverages with desserts. I am also keen to launch a cookie brand. When I was young, my late mother used to own a cookie shop and baked the most delicious biscuits. So I’d love to have a place that pays tribute to her and where people can come in to buy my biscuits and cookies and walk out with a big smile on their faces!
Can you share a recipe for one of your favourite things to make.
Something that I always make and is something very special is my grandmother’s Malva Pudding. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1½ tsps vinegar
1 tsps apricot jam
1 tsp baking soda.
¼tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup cake flour
Method
Preheat oven to 180C and butter a suitable dish (my gran used a 40x28x7cm Pyrex dish)
Mix the egg and sugar until it is a thick consistency.
Add the apricot jam and mix.
Add the vinegar and mix.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the milk.
Add the milk last and mix thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the cake pan and bake for 25 -35 minutes or until golden brown.
Sauce Ingredients
½ cup sugar
½ cup boiling water
½ cup milk
¼cup butter
1 tsp vanilla essence.
Method
Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boil until everything is dissolved.
Remove from the heat.
Pour the sauce over the malva pudding and return the malva pudding to a warm oven for 5 minutes.
Serve with custard or ice cream.
