Freestyle Cooking with Chef Ollie is an invitation to step into a world of bold flavours, creative recipes, and a whole lot of fun in the kitchen. Chef Ollie is all about breaking the rules and embracing spontaneity, and this cookbook reflects that spirit. His recipes are quick, easy, and designed to inspire, not intimidate.
With a focus on fresh, simple ingredients, Ollie shows that anyone can create dishes full of flavour without the fuss. From the fiery Hot and Sour Prego Roll to the aromatic Sambal Matah Fish en Papillote, Ollie teaches you how to layer flavours and master the fundamentals of cooking. Each chapter of the book is a journey through Ollie’s life, with lessons he’s learned along the way, paired with a curated playlist that brings the cooking experience to life. Whether cooking up a Double Oklahoma Smash Burger or indulging in a Rooibos Honey Basque Cheesecake (recipes below), Ollie reminds us that cooking should be as enjoyable as it is delicious.
‘This is more than just a cookbook; it is a celebration of culinary creativity and a testament to Ollie’s exceptional talent and zest for life.’ – Ivor Jones, head chef at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia.
Who is Chef Ollie?
Oliver Swart, known as Chef Ollie, is a talented and passionate chef with a deep love for inspiring others to cook. After relocating from Durban to Cape Town, he earned his Diploma at the prestigious Silwood School of Cookery. He honed his skills in some of the city’s top restaurants, including La Colombe, The Test Kitchen, and The Pot Luck Club. Today, Ollie is a co-owner of Annalize Catering, one of South Africa’s largest catering companies, alongside his mother-in-law, Annalize Buchanan. When he’s not cooking up a storm for their events, Ollie can be found in the kitchen, creating new dishes and menus that reflect his inventive and free-spirited approach to cooking. His passion for food and his belief that cooking should be an enjoyable, creative experience shines through in everything he does.
Smoked Mackerel Ventresca Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 200 g smoked mackerel (or canned tuna in olive oil, the imported stuff)
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoes, at room temperature (you can use any tomatoes, but I like heirloom)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pitted green manzanilla olives
- handful cherry and mixed baby exotic tomatoes
- fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves to garnish
- Maldon salt to taste
A ventresca salad typically features canned tuna in olive oil, but I prefer it with smoked mackerel. For this salad, ensure you have ripe tomatoes, fresh flat-leaf parsley, green manzanilla olives, high-quality red wine vinegar and Maldon salt. Serve with fresh baguette.
Method:
- Place the smoked mackerel in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, orange zest, garlic and rosemary, then pour this over the mackerel, turning the mackerel to ensure even coating. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
- The next day, remove the marinated smoked mackerel from the fridge an hour before serving.
- Cut the heirloom tomatoes into chunks and marinate in a large bowl with the red wine vinegar, a ¼ cup of the mackerel marinade, a big pinch of sea salt and some cracked black pepper.
- Place chunks of marinated smoked mackerel onto a serving platter or individual plates.
- Arrange the marinated tomato chunks in-between the mackerel and scatter over the red onion, olives and mixed baby tomatoes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley leaves and season the salad with a sprinkling of Maldon salt and more cracked black pepper. Finish with another generous drizzle of the mackerel marinade.
Double Oklahoma Smash Burger with 3-2-1 Sauce
It must be at least a double, never a single! Those who know me, know I’m obsessed with burgers! Ask your butcher for a mix of chuck and brisket with an 80:20 meat-to-fat ratio, ground through medium grind, twice.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 400 g ground beef (80:20 meat-to-fat ratio)
- 2 hamburger buns
- 2 Tbsp butter
- tallow or sunflower oil to fry
- 1 large onion, sliced paper thin (I use a mandoline slicer)
- salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 slices real cheddar or American cheese
- 1 pickle, sliced (I like Kühne pickled gherkins)
3-2-1 sauce
- 3 Tbsp hot-dog mustard (I like Heinz yellow mustard)
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or aioli (I use Aioli Handcrafted Foods
- roasted garlic aioli)
- 1 Tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tsp pickle juice
Method:
- First prepare the 3-2-1 sauce by combining the mustard, mayonnaise, tomato sauce and pickle juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and form each into a ball.
- Cut and butter the hamburger buns.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium–high heat. Place the hamburger buns on the skillet, butter-side down, and toast until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Wipe the skillet with paper towel and add a little tallow or sunflower oil. Place the balls of ground beef on the skillet and divide the shaved onion between them, placing the onion on top of each ball. Using a sturdy flat spatula or small pot, gently press down on each ball to smash it into a thin patty. Season with salt and black pepper. Don’t overcrowd the skillet, so if you can only do 2 balls of meat at a time, then do that.
- Cook the patties for about 2 minutes until they develop a crisp, golden-brown crust, then flip them over.
- Place a slice of cheese on each patty and continue to cook for
- 1–2 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- To assemble the burgers, spread some 3-2-1 sauce on both halves of each bun. Place 2 cheese-topped patties on each bottom bun and top with slices of pickle, then cover with the top half of the bun.
Rooibos Honey Basque Cheesecake
San Sebastián in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country is a food Mecca. We had La Viña’s famous Basque burnt cheesecake three times! This is my version, adding a South African twist.
Serves 8–10
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 5 rooibos teabags
- 250 g castor sugar
- 75 g honey
- 1 kg good-quality cream cheese
- pinch of salt
- 5 large free-range eggs
- 30 g cake flour
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Grease and line a springform cake pan with baking paper, folding the paper around the edges.
Heat the cream in a saucepan. As it’s about to boil, take it off the heat and add the rooibos teabags. Steep for 8 minutes, then remove and discard the teabags.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the castor sugar, honey and cream cheese for about 5 minutes until smooth. Mix in the salt and then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Whisk in the rooibos-infused cream.
Sift the flour into the mixture and gently fold it in.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25 minutes until the top is browned and looks almost burnt. Then reduce the temperature to 160 °C and bake for another 15 minutes. The centre will still be a little wobbly and might look slightly runny, but the cake is ready.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating overnight.
Take the cheesecake out of the fridge 2 hours before serving. Remove the outer part of the springform pan and gently peel away the paper.
Serve the cheesecake at room temperature, either straight up or with some fresh raspberries and drizzles of honey.
