.....over Michael Broughton

Michael Broughton Michael honed his skills as Head Chef at the Mount Grace Country House and Spa in Magaliesberg before opening Terroir. Prior to this, he was chef-patron of the highly successful Broughton’s in Gauteng, where he was the recipient of two Eat Out Top 10 awards and a string of other accolades. Surrounded by the vineyards of the exquisite Kleine Zalze Wine Estate, Terroir has earned a solid reputation for outstanding and inventive contemporary cuisine and excellent service. Apart from Chef Michael Broughton’s perennial favourite signature dishes, the chalkboard menu changes with the seasons, with flavours ranging from the Mediterranean, through to the East, and back home to Cape Town. Michael sums up the philosophy behind the food at Terroir as follows: ‘It’s all about big bold flavours, where the basic ingredients in every dish are stretched to the top of their flavour profile’. He is uncompromising in insisting that above all else, the food must do the talking. ‘It’s simply the place to go when you’re in need of really good food’. 2007 saw Michael jetting off on a gastronomic tour of Paris and London, where he sampled food prepared in the kitchens of some of the world’s most celebrated chefs. He returned with fresh inspiration to incorporate some of the methods of food preparation he encountered there into his repertoire. ‘The latest trends reflect a return to doing the basics well, and delivering lighter, healthier dishes. Tasting menus where many smaller courses encompassing lots of little flavours are still big news, and sous vide cooking one of the trends I’m most determined to bring to Terroir.’ Complementing the food is a new wine list featuring some of the world’s best wines. In addition to the extensive selection of local wines, including some rarities from Kleine Zalze’s cellars, the wine list now boasts Rioja from Spain, Chianti from Italy, Shiraz from Australia and a range of French wines. ‘The new selection will allow me to focus more on food and wine pairing, now that I have enough really great wines to accompany the really great food!’ says Michael. Terroir was voted third Best Restaurant in South Africa and was also awarded the coveted Prudential Eat Out Service Award at the annual 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards. In 2006, Terroir won The Eat Out Johnny Walker Restaurant of the Year Award as well as the Service Excellence Award. In 2005, Terroir received a Top 10 Restaurant award and in 2007 was nominated as one of the Top 20 Restaurants in South Africa. Since the inception of the Service Excellence Award (now known as the Prudential Eat Out Service Award), Terroir is the only restaurant to have won it twice. Other awards for Terroir include, Wine magazine’s Dine ‘Top 10’ restaurant awards in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and Best of Wine Capitals of the World South African Wine Tourism Restaurant of the Year 2006. Michael Broughton started cooking in Johannesburg, opening his first restaurant, Broughton’s, in Parkview in 1997 to critical acclaim. The locals loved it, and awards soon followed including two Eat Out ‘Top 10’ awards. He later moved Broughton’s to upmarket Sandton, where he continued to build a name for himself and his classically inspired food. In 2003, Michael made a bold move to Magaliesburg, as executive chef of Mount Grace Country House & Spa (then owned by the Brand family, who also owned the award-winning Cape Grace and The Grace in Rosebank). Michael’s dream of starting a restaurant in the Cape winelands became a reality in the shape of Terroir, which opened in October 2004, after forming a successful partnership with Kobus Basson of Kleine Zalze. . ‘Classic pairings, intense depth of flavour and the perfect sauce characterize our constantly evolving chalkboard menu’ says Michael. Grounded in classic French cooking techniques, his boldly flavoured food is influenced by the best of what’s in season and, where possible, the use of locally sourced ingredients. In keeping with Michael’s vision to create ‘terroir-driven food’ matched to wines of the region, the provenance of locally sourced ingredients remains a key focus, from organic strawberries sourced from a nearby farm to fish fresh from the boats in Gordon’s Bay. Travelling widely, reading avidly, eating out and networking with fellow chefs are all part of the on-going ‘research and development’ process for Michael. ‘Global trends reflect a return to doing the basics really well, and producing lighter, healthier dishes without forfeiting depth of flavour’ says Michael. ‘Tasting menus showcasing lots of little dishes and myriad flavours are still big news, and sous vide cooking is one of the exciting trends we’re having fun with in our kitchen right now. For example, instead of slow-roasting a spiced shoulder of lamb, it is vacuum sealed, immersed in a water bath and cooked for 18 hours at a very low temperature. The result is meltingly tender, moist lamb that remains beautifully pink. We serve this with garlic cream, confit tomatoes and potato dauphinoise – delicious!’ Terroir’s chalkboard menu of boldly flavoured, classically inspired food is influenced by what’s in season and, where possible, locally grown produce. Michael is constantly on the look out for exceptional ingredients, all of which are essential to his signature ‘deceptively simple’ style of cooking characterized by intense depth of flavour and classic combinations on the plate.

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