Umngqusho ongqimbilili (Baked creamy cheesy samp)
6
Easy
15 minutes, plus overnight soaking time
1 hour
“This dish was inspired by my niece. When she was young, she was crazy about macaroni cheese – like most kids. As an aunt who values preserving our traditional food, I wanted to create something that would introduce her to our heritage and teach her the importance of preserving culture through food. This dish is quite rich due to the cream and cheese, so it should be enjoyed in moderation. I like adding Gruyère and Parmesan to elevate the flavour even more. I've named the dish umngqusho ongqimbilili, with “umngqusho” as the primary ingredient and “ongqimbilili” being an adjective traditionally used in my family to describe thick and saucy items, whether they’re foods or beverages.” – Nolukhanyo Dube-Cele
Ingredients
Method
- 360 g samp, soaked overnight
- 6 cups water (approximately)
- 4 T butter
- 4 T flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- ½ cup Gruyère grated
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 3 pinches nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 t ground white pepper
- salt, to taste
Method
Ingredients
1. Rinse the soaked samp thoroughly, then place in a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 11/2 hours, checking every 20 minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn. Add more water if necessary. Drain, rinse and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour using a whisk or wooden spoon and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously and ensuring it doesn’t burn or darken.
3. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking continually to prevent lumps from forming. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken.
4. Once the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the flour to cook completely.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir, then add the cream, Gruyère. and Parmesan and stir until melted. Ncasanisa (taste) and season the sauce with the nutmeg, white pepper and salt.
6. Combine the samp and cheese sauce, stirring, until the samp is evenly coated. Adjust the amount of sauce based on how saucy you’d like the dish to be.
7. Place the mixture into a baking dish and top with the mozzarella. Bake at 180℃ until browned, approximately 25 minutes. Serve with a side salad or, for meat lovers, as a tshisanyama side dish.
Find more South African recipes here.
ALSO READ: The heritage series: Meet Nolukhanyo Dube-Cele of Seven Colours Eatery
Production: Khanya Mzongwana
Photography: Toby Murphy
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