The Roasted Dad’s Recipes

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I am an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw my business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep me sane. To keep track of his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join me, he started my instagram account The Roasted Dad.

Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim I (encouraged by my wife) enter MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when I get selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, I decide to go all in. Leaving my 7-month-pregnant wife to look after their then three and one-year-old children, I battled it out and came back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in my pocket.

It all started with an Instagram account, and then entering -and winning- MasterChef. But The Roasted Dad is so much more now. I now host Private Dinner Parties, Restaurant Take-Overs and Pop-Ups and Cook-with-Me Demos, and am a Key Note Speaker at events. I share recipes on my website and regularly post accommodation and restaurant reviews too. This is a glimpse into the wild and wonderful life I lead with my wife Lianne, and our three children Aiden (7), Olivia (4) and Harvey (2).

After winning MasterChef South Africa, I started sharing recipes on his blog. They are easy to produce at home, using basic cooking techniques with ingredients found at your local grocery store.

Recipe Index

Salads
Dinner
Chicken
Lamb
Duck
Vegetarian
Sweet
Steak
Pork
Turkey
Seafood

Recipes per Cuisine

South African
Savoury
Italian
Mexican

Recipes per Type of Meal

Sides
Asian
Breakfast
Lunch

Seasonal Recipes

Easter
Christmas

How-to Recipes

Salad Recipes

Steak Recipes

Chicken Recipes

Pork Recipes

Lamb Recipes

Duck Recipes

Turkey Recipes

Seafood Recipes

Vegetarian Recipes

South African Recipes

Italian Recipes

French Recipes

Asian Recipes

Mexican Recipes

Sweet Recipes

Savoury Recipes

Easter Recipes

Breakfast Recipes

Side Dishes

Dinner Recipes

Lunch Recipes

Christmas Recipes

Top tips to make the best crispy pork belly in the oven
dinner Shawn Godfrey dinner Shawn Godfrey

Top tips to make the best crispy pork belly in the oven

Pork belly dishes have always been my favourite to cook. I have smoked pork belly, oven baked, braised, pressure potted and put it in the Weber. But ultimately I have found the best pork belly is done in an oven where consistency and accurate temperature control can be kept. After tons of trials I formulated my favourite recipe for pork belly.

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Hedgehog or hasselback potatoes in the Airfryer
side Shawn Godfrey side Shawn Godfrey

Hedgehog or hasselback potatoes in the Airfryer

I have childhood memories of using a fork to make krimpvarkie aartappels (Afrikaans for hedgehog potatoes), which in mainstream English are called hasselback potatoes, named after a Swedish restaurant by the same name that made this way of preparing potatoes famous. Making these potatoes in the air fryer saves time, and crisps them up without needing to use too much olive oil.

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How to make the Best Braai Broodjie
lunch Shawn Godfrey lunch Shawn Godfrey

How to make the Best Braai Broodjie

South Africans love a good Braai Broodjie. While South Africans love meat, this vegetarian alternative is a crowdpleaser. And if a braai is not a braai without meat, I challenge you to think differently: a braai is not a braai without a braai broodjie!

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5 Steps to ensure you make the Best Risotto
starter, main Shawn Godfrey starter, main Shawn Godfrey

5 Steps to ensure you make the Best Risotto

Ah, risotto – the creamy, comforting Italian dish that holds a special place in the hearts of food lovers worldwide. While its velvety texture and rich flavours make it a standout dish on restaurant menus, making risotto at yourself at home is not easy. Risotto demands patience and following a few steps religiously.

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