Chef David Higgs – Earned Recognition and Praises from Toughest Food Critics

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Chef David Higgs has been in South Africa for almost two decades now. He has been working as a chef in numerous restaurants in the region, and his culinary skill has earned him recognition and praise form some of the toughest food critics in the world. Right now, he is the head chef of Rust En Vrede, and under his leadership, he has given the restaurant something to be proud of as it was named as this year’s 74th best restaurant in the world.

Chef Higgs is a native South African chef who spent the first eight years of his culinary career training under and working with one of the country’s most influential chefs, Chef Bill Stafford. It was with Chef Stafford that he learned everything he could on the basics of cooking. In fact, Chef Higgs credits his culinary foundation to his mentor, stating that his mentor not only played a huge part in his culinary foundation but also influenced his culinary style and techniques.

After his apprenticeship with Chef Stafford, Chef Higgs opened a culinary school, naming it The David Higgs School of Good Cooking. The school taught young chefs until the year 2006 when Chef Higgs sold the school. After selling his school, he then founded his own catering company and then worked at the Leinster Hall for about two years. After this, he then opened his own restaurant in Durbanville, the Meerendal, but then sold it once more when he joined the team behind Rust en Vrede as its head chef.

Chef Higgs takes his inspiration from his native land, and to ensure his diners that they are only going to receive the best, Rust en Vrede have a special garden where they get most of their ingredients and produce from. His culinary skill has not only impressed his loyal followings but it has also impressed one of the best and most renowned chefs in the world, Chef Feran Adria.

Last 2009, the great Chef Adria was in South Africa for the Design Indaba, and Chef Higgs has had the honor to cook for the esteemed chef in their restaurant. Such was his skill that he impressed Chef Adria with the quality of his cuisine. It was a very momentous time for Chef Higgs to showcase the cuisine of Rust en Vrede, and receiving the praise of one of the most-celebrated chefs in the globe was a very big accomplishment indeed.

With his culinary background and skill in cooking, the restaurant soon began receiving awards and praises. In the late 2008, the restaurant was named as one of the 10 restaurants of Eat Out, and barely two years after first opening its doors to the public, Rust en Vrede was included in one of the most prestigious lists in the culinary world, the San Pellegrino’s top 100 World’s Best Restaurants.

Aside from the success that the restaurant had under his leadership, Chef Higgs is just as active in culinary competitions. In fact, he is a member of the National Culinary Team of South Africa and has also become the representative of South Africa to the Culinary Olympics.

Chef David Higgs Confit of Pork Belly Basted with Beer and Guava on a Black Pepper Biscotti

For the Pork:

Ingredients:

1,5kg de-boned pork belly
50g coarse salt
50g brown sugar
2g roasted coriander seed
2g roasted cardamom seed
1 litre rendered duck fat

Directions: Remove rind from belly then rub with a mixture of the sugar, salt and crushed seeds. Cure for eight hours in the fridge. Rinse off salt crust and place in a roasting pan. Pour the melted duck fat over and cook in the oven at 100ºC until tender. Cool in fat.

Beer and Guava Basting:

Ingredients:

250g fresh, ripe guavas
150ml light beer
20g fresh coriander leaves
2g black pepper

Directions: Blend guavas and beer. Reduce in a pot by half or until sticky. Stir in freshly chopped coriander and black pepper. Cool and refrigerate.

Black Pepper Biscotti:

Ingredients:

1 800ml bread flour
200ml fresh thyme
20ml black pepper
8ml baking powder
8ml salt
1 000ml butter
600ml sugar
4 eggs

Directions: Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time. Sift flour and salt together. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Shape and rest in fridge overnight. Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes. Cut into shape and re-bake.

To Serve: Slice belly to desired thickness and brush with basting. Reheat at 180ºC. Place slices of belly onto biscuits and garnish with mange tout julienne and a coriander sprig.

Makes 40 canapé-sized portions.

Image Credit: braai4heritage.co.za

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