White chocolate and tonka bean pap

1. To make the pap, scald the milk and cream in a heavy-based saucepan, then add the maize meal and whisk until combined. Cover with a lid for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the lid and whisk until the grain is cooked out.

2. Add the white chocolate and whisk until fully dissolved and emulsified. Finely grate the tonka bean using a Microplane and mix with the pap.

3. To make the dark chocolate roots, melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler, then transfer into a piping bag or Ziploc bag. Snip a small hole at the bottom and pipe the chocolate into ice cold water to make shapes resembling roots.

4. To make the hibiscus-and-honey tea, bring the water to the boil and infuse with the hibiscus petals. Set aside for 3 minutes. Add the honey and stir through until well blended.

5. To serve, spoon the pap into a bowl and garnish with the grapefruit and peach. Add the chocolate roots to finish off. Enjoy with a cup of hibiscus-and-honey tea or add it to the pap and mix through.

Cook's note: There aren’t enough words to explain what pap is to South Africans. Different cultures eat it differently but we all respect its place in our culinary story. Before school every morning I would eat the same breakfast: pap and tea will hold you up! This is my fresh take on it, because who says you can’t eat breakfast as dessert?

Find more South African recipes here.

Photograph: Toby Murphy
Production: Khanya Mzongwana