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Category Archives: Recipes
POT ROAST CHICKEN
For this version of braaied chicken you’re going the decadent extra mile. You’re not just braaing it on a grid or baking it in your man-oven, you’re roasting it in your potjie. We’re talking whole chicken cooked in a potjie with loads of garlic and white wine, cream and herbs. When you’re done you might feel the urge to do a little victory dance, but don’t. Those are for rugby players when they score tries, and they’re usually embarrassed about it a few years later.
WHAT YOU NEED(serves 4)
- 1 tot olive oil1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 packet smoked streaky bacon (about 200–250 g, finely chopped)
- half a bulb of garlic (skin the cloves but leave them whole)
- 1 carrot (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 celery stick (finely chopped)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 medium-sized whole chicken
- 1 tot brandy
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup cream (125 ml)
- mashed potatoes or cooked white rice(to serve)
- 1 tot fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil in your potjie (a classic shape no. 3 is perfect) over a hot fire, then add onions, bacon, garlic, carrots and celery. Fry for about 5–10 minutes until it all starts to brown.
- Add the thyme and the chicken and fry for another 5–10 minutes, browning the chicken slightly on both sides. Here and there the vegetables and bacon should also be turning brown in the bottom of the potjie.
- Now add the brandy and scrape the bottom of the potjie with a wooden spoon to loosen any dark bits sticking down there. Those sticky bits create flavour but you need to scrape them loose to unleash said flavour. Let the brandy boil rapidly for a few minutes until it evaporates, then add the white wine, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer (breast sides of the chicken down) over low heat (coals, not flames) for 1½ hours. Turn the chicken breast side up for the last 15 minutes of this time.
- Now pour in the cream, and bring back to a simmer. Cook for another 15 minutes uncovered, then remove from the fire and let the meal rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve on mashed potatoes or white rice garnished with chopped parsley.
AND …If you serve it with whole sprigs of thyme, as I did for garnish in this photo, remember to move them to the side before you eat the chicken. You wouldn’t eat whole sprigs of fresh thyme on your chicken as the woody parts are too hard to chew
BEAN BOLOGNESE
My family started making spaghetti Bolognese on the fire during camping trips in Botswana and Namibia when I was a teenager. The secret to a great Bolognese sauce is to simmer it over low coals for quite a while. When camping in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the problem with cooking something that smells this good, simmering and releasing flavours, is that a pride of lions might smell it as well and pay your camp a visit, as happened to us one evening. We ate in the car that night.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (grated)
- 1 celery stick (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- ½ tot mixed dried herbs (or 1 tot finely chopped fresh herbs like basil, thyme and parsley)
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 tin red kidney beans (drained)
- 1 tin black beans (drained)
- 2 tins tomatoes
- 2 tots tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tot lemon juice
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 500 g pasta (like tagliatelle or spaghetti)
- Parmesan cheese (or Cheddar cheese, shaved or grated, to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat oil in a potjie over a medium-hot fire. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and gently fry for 5–10 minutes until the onion is soft and shiny but not brown.
- Add the garlic and herbs to the pot and fry for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and stir well. Use your spoon to scrape and loosen any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine is almost completely reduced.
- Now add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer over low heat. Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 10–15 minutes to ensure that the sauce doesn’t cook dry and burn. You need low heat and a gentle simmer – exactly the opposite of braaing steak. If the pot runs dry, add a bit of water.
- After 1 hour of cooking, add salt and pepper to taste; take off the lid and simmer uncovered while you cook the pasta in salted water in a separate pot.
- When the pasta is cooked and you’re happy with the Bolognese sauce, serve as you see fit. I usually see fit with a bit of shaved Parmesan or grated aged white Cheddar.
AND …
Pasta, like spaghetti and tagliatelle, takes about 7–8 minutes in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water to become al dente, which means ‘just cooked with a slight bite to it’. For 500 g of pasta you need about 5 litres of water and ½ tot of salt. Don’t overcook pasta or it will become a soggy mess. When it’s done, drain the water off and immediately drizzle the pasta with olive oil to stop it sticking to itself.
CHICKEN AND MANGO POTJIE
The sweetness of the mango goes great with the coconut milk, this is a great combination of flavours and a crowd pleaser.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 peppers, chopped (red and yellow)
- 6 – 8 skinless chicken thighs
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed
- 1 tot freshly grated ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tot medium curry powder
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 1 mango, cut into blocks
WHAT TO DO:
- Heat the oil in your potjie and fry the onion and peppers until soft.
- Add the chicken pieces and let them fry with the meat side down in order to get a bit of colour on the chicken. Next season the chicken with salt, pepper and curry powder.
- Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute.
- Add half of the mango blocks and coconut milk, place the lid on top and let this simmer on low heat for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Open the potjie, add the rest of the mango and let it simmer for about 15 minutes without the lid.
- Serve the potjie with fresh roosterkoek on the side.
FRIED RICE WITH PORK AND MUSHROOMS
This recipe is a great idea for left over rice at the end of your weekend braai’s. You can also use left over braai meat that you chop, instead of the pork mince. Add any vegetables that you have available and create this delicious potjie at home.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 pepper, chopped (red or yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed
- 1 tot freshly grated ginger
- 500 g pork mince
- Salt and pepper
- 1 packet white button mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tot soya sauce
- 1 cup peas
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tot port
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
WHAT TO DO:
- Heat the oil in your potjie on the fire and fry the onion and peppers until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 minute
- Add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Fry the pork until brown and cooked.
- Add mushrooms, season with soya sauce and port and let this simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice and peas and mix everything well.
- Right at the end, crack the egg in the potjie and stir until it is cooked and combined into the rice.
- Season with extra salt and pepper if needed and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
LENTIL BOBOTIE
Bobotie is a South African classic and an important part of our culinary heritage. It’s also one of my favourite meals, but this doesn’t make me special: everybody loves bobotie. As with many other South African cult hits, the best and original way is in a potjie on a braai fire. I believe it’s your moral duty to perfect the art of making bobotie. It’s a great way to show off when you cook for visitors to South Africa. And here you have a version that is vegetarian.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
- 500 g lentils (I like the multicoloured pack but any will do)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 3 onions (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- 1 tot medium-strength curry powder
- ½ tot ground turmeric
- ½ tot salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup apricot jam
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup almond flakes
- 1 tot vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (to serve – this is usually spot-on for 6 people once cooked)
- chutney (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Place the lentils in your potjie on the fire with enough water to cover them, and simmer until soft for about 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a flat-bottomed potjie over a medium-hot fire and fry the onions and garlic until the onions are soft but not brown.
- Add the curry powder and turmeric, then fry for a minute – the bottom of the potjie will look quite dry so pay attention and don’t let the mixture burn.
- Add the cooked lentils and fry for a few minutes, mixing everything together.
- Add the salt and pepper, apricot jam, raisins, almond flakes and vinegar/ lemon juice. Stir well, bring to a slow simmer and put on the lid. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring once in a while to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.
- Now remove the lid and flatten the mixture with the back of your spoon so that it’s even across the bottom of the potjie. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small mixing bowl, then pour over the bobotie. Stick the bay leaves into the egg mixture. Cover with the lid and put a layer of hot coals on top of the lid. At this stage, you only want coals on the lid, not underneath the potjie. Bake like this for 30 minutes and then your bobotie is ready.
- Serve with rice and chutney on the side.
AND …
Many seasoned bobotie eaters also like sliced banana, coconut or chopped tomatoes with their bobotie. Serve whichever sambals you prefer.
MACARONI AND CHEESE BRAAIBROODJIE
Yes, this is exactly what you think it is. Mac and cheese, in the form of a braaibroodjie. All the best worlds of comfort food, in one place.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- ½ packet of macaroni
- 1 packet of DENNY Cheese cook in sauce
- 300g cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 packet streaky bacon, roughly chopped
- 1 loaf white toaster bread
- Butter to spread on the bread slices
WHAT TO DO:
- Cook your macaroni in a pot according to the instructions on the packet in water until soft. Drain the water and put the macaroni aside.
- Add the bacon to your now empty pot, with a bit of olive oil and fry until cooked and crispy.
- Add the Macaroni to your bacon and pour over the Denny sauce and let this simmer for 2 minutes. Add half of the grated cheese.
- Build your braaibroodjie, spread butter on the outside of your bread slices.
- Place a spoonful of macaroni and cheese sauce on the bread, top with grated cheese and cover with the other slice of buttered bread.
- Braai the braaibroodjies in a hinged grid over medium coals and turn often making sure the outside of the bread is toasted and the cheese on the inside is melted.
JAN BRAAI PIZZA
This will probably become one of your favourite go-to recipes. Whether you are craving it, want to impress guests, or are on a road trip and want to do a quick scenic and hassle-free braai, this is a nice trick to have up your sleeve. I first made this on the Jan Braai vir Erfenis television show a few years ago and it went cult overnight. In those first few weeks of the Jan Braai Pizza, many supermarkets sold out of ready-made pizzas on a daily basis, such was the demand. The possibilities with toppings are endless and you can use whatever your favourite off-the-shelf pizzas are. I usually go for two store-bought pizzas with different toppings and then manually add some extra feta cheese before going to the fire. Enjoy!
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 2–4)
- 2 store-bought pizzas (raw but prepared, with the toppings of your choice)
- something extra (including but not limited to feta cheese, garlic, mushrooms, capers, olives, roasted vegetables or sundried tomatoes)
- a hinged grid
WHAT TO DO
- Light a fire and wait till the coals are the same heat that you would braai your braaibroodjies on – in other words, medium heat.
- Place the two pizzas on top of each other with the fillings facing to the inside. If you want to add anything extra, do so beforehand.
- Place the pizza sandwich in your hinged grid, close the grid tightly, and braai the pizza, turning it often, the same as you would do with a braaibroodjie. You want the outside to be toasted and crispy and the cheese on the inside to be completely melted.
- Once you have achieved the perfect pizza, take it off the grid, slide it onto a wooden board and cut into slices. Serve immediately.
BANANA AND BACON BRAAIBROODJIE
As we all know the braaibroodjie is and will always be the best braai item in the world. There is always something new and different to put on top of your braaibroodjie. While visiting a banana farm, I thought these bananas deserve to be the star on a braaibroodjie.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 16 slices of bread
- Butter to srpead on the bread
- 1 packet of streaky bacon
- 8 bananas, halved or sliced into slices
- 1 block (300g) grated cheddar cheese
- Golden syrup
WHAT TO DO:
- First braai your bacon, you can either braai it on a grid for the best crispy bacon, or use a pan or lid of your potjie to braai them if you dont have an extra grid hanging around.
- Spread butter on the outside of your bread. Place the cheese, the bananas, then bacon on the side of the bread that is not buttered.
- Drizzle some syrup over and close the braaibroodjie with another slice of bread that is buttered on the outside.
- Braai the braaibroodjies over medium heat, making sure to turn them often. This will enusre that the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, nice and crispy.
CHOCOLATE FONDANT WITH MACADAMIAS
There is a medical reason why you should eat chocolate. The scent of the chocolate increases theta brain waves, which induces relaxation. We all know how vitally important it is to destress, relax and feel good about your life. And this is why you and your loved ones should consume the baked chocolate potjie as often as possible. It will make you a better person.
WHAT YOU NEED(feeds 8)
FOR THE BATTER
- 1 egg
- 3 tots butter(melted)
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tot vanilla essence
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 tot cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 small slabs dark chocolate (80g each, broken into blocks you can also use one of each, dark and milk)
- 100 g macadamia neute , roughly chopped
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1½cups brown sugar
- 2 tots cocoa powder
- 1½cups boiling water
TO SERVE
- fresh cream or ice cream
WHAT TO DO
- Make the batter, part 1: In your no. 10 flat-bottomed baking potjie, whisk the egg and then use your wooden spoon and mix the butter, milk and vanilla with the whisked egg.
- Make the batter, part 2: Now mix the flour, cocoa, salt, sugar, chopped chocolate pieces and chopped nuts into the wet mixture of step 1. Just use the sugar and cocoa specified as ingredients for the batter, not the sugar and cocoa for the sauce, which only comes in the next step. Everything needs to be mixed properly so use a wooden spoon and put in some effort. If you’re unfit get one of your friends or family members to help you, or buy yourself a cordless stick blender (it changed my life).
- Make the sauce:Stir the sugar, cocoa powder and boiling water together until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour this hot cocoa-sugar-water mixture over the dough mixture that is already in the pot.
- Bake:Put the lid on the potjie and bake for 25 minutes by placing coals under the pot and a lot of coals on the lid of the pot. Your work of art is ready when the top is firm to the touch.
- Serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
BOEREWORS AND CHILLI BRAAI PITAS
Approach this recipe as you would a braaibroodjie and braai over medium heat and slowly, turning often. The fat from the boerewors will make the pita sides crispy and full of taste. The chilli I used was a gift from Komatiepoort, but you can add any type of spicy chilli that you enjoy.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 punnet mushrooms of your choice, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 packet Jan Braai Boerewors, removed from the casings
- 1 tub plain cream cheese
- Chillis of your choice (I used pickled chillis)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 4 Pita breads
- Butter to spread on top of the pitas
WHAT TO DO:
- Heat the oil in your pan on the fire and fry the chopped mushrooms until soft. Add the onions and fry for a few minutes.
- Next add the boerewors that is removed from the casing and fry until cooked and starts to get a bit crispy on the edges.
- Start to prep your pitas, gently cut them open with a sharp bread knife.
- Spread the inside with cream cheese, top with chillis and then the boerewors mixture.
- Sprinkle cheese over everything and close the pita. Spread butter on the outsides.
- Braai your pitas over medium heat, turning often, until the outsides are crispy and the cheese melted.
CHICKEN AND CAPER POTJIE
This recipe is one of those potjies you will make whenever you see capers in your fridge, very ease and super delicious. This is a great crowd pleaser.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 8 skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 700g baby potatoes
- 2 tots capers, drained
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup fresh cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish
WHAT TO DO:
- Place your potjie on the fire, heat the oil in your potjie and fry the onion until soft. Add the chicken and fry until they are a bit browned on all sides.
- Add the garlic, baby potatoes, capers and wine and let this cook for a few minutes until most of the wine is cooked away.
- Add the cream, place the lid on top and let this potjie simmer very gently for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are soft.
- Season with salt and pepper and fresh parsley and serve hot.
STEAK CAESAR SALAD
This is probably one of the best ways to dress your steak. Lots of flavour and goodness!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 kg Rump steak
- Salt and pepper
- 1 whole Ciabatta cut into slices
- Olive oil and salt
- 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tot capers
- 1 tot Worcester sauce
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 2 tots Mayonaise
- 1 tot Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1 bag of Romaine/Cos Lettuce
- Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
WHAT TO DO:
- Cut your ciabatta into slices and generously pour olive oil over the bread and season with salt. Braai until toasted, golden brown and crisp. Cut these slices then into bite size blocks.
- Mix the capers, worcester sauce, anchovies, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and lemon juice together in a food blender or your porter and pestle until it resembles a smooth paste. Add a bit of olive oil at the end to make it a bit more runny.
- Braai your steak over hot coals to medium rare and season with salt and pepper. Once the steak is done, let it rest for a few minutes and cut into thin slices
- Place the steak and bread blocks into a big bowl and toss the steak and bread with the sauce so that everything is coated with the caesar dressing.
- Slice your lettuce and serve the steak and bread on top of the bed of lettuce. Dress the whole dish with generous amounts of parmesan cheese and serve.
DENNY SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN WINGS
In my opinion, this is the best way to prepare chicken wings, you get the best of both worlds. The chicken is cooked thoroughly and absorbs all the great flavours of the sauce. Plus you get the crispy braai stickiness once cooked and on the braai.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- About 12 chicken wings
- 1 packet Denny cook in sauce Sweet and sour flavour
- Spring onions and sesame seeds for garnishing
WHAT TO DO:
- Place the chicken wings in your potjie, pour over the Denny cook in sauce and cover with the lid.
- Let the pot gently simmer on the coals for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
- Remove the cooked chicken wings from the sauce, keeping the sauce in the pot, place into a hinged grid and braai over warm coals until they start to get colour, the skin becomes crispy and the sauce a bit sticky.
- While you are braaing this, gently let the sauce in the pot keep on simmering until the sauce is thick and sticky.
- Serve the wings hot, garnished with spring onions and sesame seeds and the sauce for dipping.
WAFFLE BRAAIBROODJIE
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tot baking powder
- 1 cup (125 ml) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tots butter, melted
- Toppings of your choice, we used grated cheddar cheese and syrup
WHAT TO DO:
- Mix the four, baking powder and sugar together.
- Mix the eggs, milk and butter together and add to the dry ingredients, mix well.
- Pre heat your waffle machine, spray with non stick cooking spray and bake you waffles like you would always do.
- Once your waffles are beked start to prepare the waffle braaibroodjie, place your choce of fillings insinde, close the waffle with another on on top and braai in a closed hinged grid over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the outside cripsy and brown.
FRESH FISH WITH FRAGRANT SAUCE
Although cultivated and available in a much larger part of South Africa, I associate plum red tomatoes and the best olives with the Klein Karoo. This is not necessarily a fact, it’s simply my frame of reference. It’s the Tuscany of South Africa if you will. For me it follows logically that fresh lemon, capers, basil, garlic and white wine would also play a role here. This sauce compliments the fish, and make sure to have some good quality bread to scrape up all the extra sauce.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
- 1 fresh good sized yellow tail
- 1 onion(chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 cup olives(pitted and halved)
- 1 pack/tub sun-dried tomatoes(in oil or water, 200–300g)
- 1 tot capers
- 1 punnet (about 200g) baby or cocktail tomatoes
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 cup white wine
- fresh basil leaves (optional)
WHAT TO DO
- Light a big fire. While you wait for the fire to form coals, chop the onion and garlic, and halve the olives to remove the pits from them. Drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes, but keep the oil/water/sauce as you will add that to the meal later. Drain the capers, and pour yourself a drink.
- When the coals are almost ready to braai the fish, start to make the sauce.
- Place a fireproof pot or pan over the heat and sauté the chopped onion in the oil for a few minutes.
- When the onion has colour, add the garlic, olives, baby tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes plus their sauce, and the drained capers. Regularly toss this mixture with your wooden spoon until it is well combined and starts to ‘fry’.You do not need to add any salt as the sauce will contain enough of it via the capers and olives.
- Add the white wine, stir and then let the sauce gently simmer, stirring now and again so that the wine can reduce by half in the time it takes you to braai the fish.
- When the fire is ready, season your fish generously with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice and braai over medium hot coals with the skin down. The skin will serve as a type of foil, so it can char a little bit, don’t worry. In the last few minutes, turn your fish around and braai flesh side towards the coals for a few minutes until cooked and firm.
- Remove the fish from the fire once ready, pour the warm sauce over the fish season with fresh lemon wedges, basil leaves and toasted bread.
CHERMOULA MIELIES
Widely available, photogenic, lasts quite well in your fridge, tasty, best done on the braai. Ticks all the boxes.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
4 mielies
For the Chermoula
- 3 tots olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 2 tots fresh coriander (chopped)
- 2 tots parsley (chopped)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
WHAT TO DO
- Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a food processor, or pestle and mortar.
- If the mielies still have husk on them, remove it.
- Now pack the mielies side by side on a braai grid and braai over hot coals for about 10 minutes, turning them during this time and exposing all sides to the heat of the coals.
- When they are starting to look nicely browned, remove the mielies from the fire and generously lather each one with chermoula sauce.
- Now it’s back to the fire to toast the mielies and sauce for a few minutes. You want the sauce to heat up and caramelise here and there.
- Once you feel it’s ready, you’re right – it’s ready. Remove from the fire and serve immediately. If there is still sauce left over and you feel like it, drizzle that over the mielies.
AND …
Sometimes, when the food chain from farmer to you is quite short, you’ll get hold of mielies that are still completely in the husk. In this case, consider braaing them directly on the coals exactly as they come, turning them now and then. They will steam, cook and braai perfectly just like that. As soon as a kernel starts to show through the husk – that is, when the leaves start to burn away in some part – that mielie is ready to be eaten. Remove from the fire, remove all the husk and enjoy as is or dressed with the sauce.
PORK BELLY BURGER
Pork belly used to be something I liked to order at fancy restaurants. But then I figured out how to braai it, which, not surprisingly, makes it taste even better. The meat looks quite fatty and tough to start with, but after 2 hours of steady heat most of that fat braais out, and the meat gets very tender. Basically, you’re going to braise the meat with an amazing smelling Asian-style marinade inside your potjie. The result will be a succulent piece of pork with a crispy, smoky outer layer of fat called crackling.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- peeled rind of 1 orange (solid peel, not grated or zested)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tot chopped fresh ginger
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 kg pork belly (ask your butcher for one with a relatively thin layer of fat)
- 1 baby cabbage, shredded
- 2 carrots, grated
- 250 ml French style mayonnaise
WHAT TO DO
- Score the fat of the pork belly. This means you must use a sharp knife to cut a criss-cross pattern into the outer layer of fat.
- In our potjie, throw in all the ingredients except the meat. Stir well to dissolve the sugar slightly.
- Now add the pork belly fat side up, and spoon some of the marinade over the top. The liquid should come up the sides but not completely cover the top of the meat.
- Cover the potjie with the lid and let this potiie simmer on low heat for 2 hours. You want the heat to be around 150’. Half-way during the cooking process you can open the lid of the potjie to spoon more of the sauce onto the meat.
- Remove the meat from the potjie once the meat is soft and cooked. Put the meat on a wooden cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes. Leave the potjie on th fire so that the sauce can reduce.
- Slice the meat into 2 cm-thick slices and place into your hinged grid. Now braai these belly pieces over hot coals until nice and crispy.
- Build your burger by placing a nice portion of mayonnaise on the bottom bun, followed by the pork belly. Top the belly with your cabbage and carrot slaw. And finally drizzle the reduced sauce over.
FISH TAGINE
If you dont have a tagine on hand, you can also use your black no.10 potjie for this recipe. And as always the fresher your fish, the better!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1 tin (50 g) tomato paste
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 firm white fish, fresh, cut into portions
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh coriander to serve
- Cous cous to serve
WHAT TO DO:
- Place the tagine on the fire and heat the oil. Fry the onions until soft.
- Add the garlic curry powder, coriander, cumin, paprika and mixed herbs. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, chilli, lemon juice and zest and fry for another minute and mix well.
- Add the white wine and let most of the alcohol cook off, then add the tomatoes and mix everything together. Place the portions of fish into the tomato mixture, cover with the lid and let this cook for 8 -10 minutes until the fish is firm, flaky and cooked, but not over cooked.
- Season with salt and pepper and fresh coriander
- Serve your dish with a side of fragrant cous cous and your favourite glass of white wine.
BOBOTIE BURGER
This recipe is in actual fact very simple and obvious, but as South Africans, we all love the taste profile of a classic bobotie. So why not make it into a burger
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 kg good quality beef mince
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 tot medium curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 tot vinegar
- 1 tot apricot jam
- 4 burger buns
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- Chutney to serve
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 4 Fried eggs for serving (optional)
WHAT TO DO:
- Season the beef mince with salt, pepper, curry powder and turmeric and mix well.
- Add the vinegar and apricot jam and mix well.
- Use a patty press or your hands to make 4 burger patties. Do not handle or touch the meat too much, less means more taste.
- Braai the patties over medium coals until medium done. A few minutes before the patties are done, toast the burger buns on the fire.
- Build the burger by starting with the toasted buns, then tomatoes followed by the patty.
- Pour a generous helping of chutney over the patty and top with red onions.
- Serve the burger with a fried egg on top
Roosterkoek
If you’ve never made dough in your life, there’s no shame in asking someone who has done it before to show you what it means to ‘knead it into one pliable piece’.Baking bread is an ancient skill, and a fulfilling one, so you need to master it. The tricky part is making the dough. If you’ve never made dough in your life, the recipe below will probably look quite daunting the frst time you read it. Take a deep breath, drink a beer, and read it again. Like riding a bicycle it’s surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it
WHAT YOU NEED(makes 12 decent-sized roosterkoek)
- 1 kg cake four (as the ‘koek’ part of the Afrikaans name implies, use cake four – but white bread four is also fine if that is what’s on hand)
- 10 g instant yeast(it comes in 10 g packets)
- 1 tot sugar
- ½tot salt
- lukewarm water in a jug(you’ll need roughly just more than 2 cups of water)
- 2 tots olive oil
WHAT TO DO
- Sift the four into a bowl that is at least 3 times as big as 1 kg of four, and preferably even bigger. If you’re in the middle of the bush and don’t have a sieve on hand, then skip the sifting part and just chuck the four into a big enough bowl. If you only have a 1 kg bag of four and no more, save a little for step 9.
- Add the yeast and sugar to the four and mix thoroughly with your clean hand. Now it’s time to add the salt and toss the mixture around some more.
- Pour in the lukewarm water bit by bit and keep kneading the dough. As soon as there is no dry four left, you’ve added enough water. Take care not to add too much water, as this will lead to the dough being runny and falling through the grid. Roosterkoek falling through the grid is just no good. For 1 kg of four you’ll probably use just a tiny bit more than 2 cups of water.
- If you think you have enough water in there, add the 2 tots of olive oil.
- Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes until none of it sticks to your fngers anymore and it forms one big pliable piece.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and put in a warm area for 10 minutes.
- Take ofthe kitchen towel and knead the dough again for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Replace the kitchen towel and let it rise for at least 30 minutes.
- Use your recently washed hands to fatten the dough onto a table or plank that is covered in four and also lightly sprinkle four on top of the dough. Your aim is to create a rectangular or square piece of dough.
- Use a sharp knife and cut the dough into squares, and let them rise for a few minutes one final time.
- Bake over very gentle coals for about 15–20 minutes, turning often. A roosterkoek is ready when it sounds hollow when you tap on it. Alternatively, insert the blade of your pocketknife or multi-tool into them as a test. If the blade comes out clean the roosterkoek is ready.
- Serve the roosterkoek with hot and warm soup
AND …Some supermarkets sell fresh dough. If you’ve bought some of that, start making your roosterkoek from step 9.
BEST AMAZING MUSHROOM BURGER
This burger has a lot of elements, follow all the steps and do not leave out anything! It will be the best mushroom burger you have ever had!
WHAT YOU NEED:
For the mushroom sauce:
- 1 packet portabello mushrooms
- 1 packet excotic mushrooms
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tub plain cream cheese
- 1 cup fresh cream
For the beef patties:
- 1 kg good quality beef mince
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
To build the burgers:
- 1 packet streaky bacon
- 2 tots golden syrup
- 4 Big brown braai mushrooms
- 4 hamburger rolls
WHAT TO DO:
- Chop all your mushrooms and heat oil in your pan or potjie. Fry the onion until soft, add the garlic and mushrooms and fry until all the mushrooms are soft and cooked.
- Add the cream cheese and cream and let this simmer on low heat for a few minutes until thickened.
- While you wait for your coals to be ready, braai your bacon in a hinged grid in the meantime until nice and crispy and set aside.
- Make the smash burgers. Place your griddle plate on the fire so that it can become very hot. Divide your mince into 8 equal heaps. Remember to not handle or touch the meat too much, you want the air pockets and loose edges on the smash burgers for extra taste and cripsyness.
- Also braai the big braai mushrooms until soft, but not too long, they must just start to change shape and colour.
- Add oil to your griddle plate, place the heaps of meat on the plate and smash with your spatula. Turn them around after about 2 minutes.
- Add the cheese on the cooked top as you turn them around. Also place the bacon on one end and drizzle the golden syrup over the bacon so that it can caramalise and become stikcy and sweet.
- Build your burger by starting with the bottom part of the bun, place the patty with cheese on top, then bacon, then another patty with cheese. Then place the giant mushroom and finally pour over the creamy mushroom sauce. Top with more bacon and enjoy this feast!
MUSHROOM BRAAIBROODJIE
The great thing about the humble braaibroodjie is you can do anything with it! Whatever you can think of can work on a pizza can work just as great on a braaibroodjie! You can do it!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 tot olive oil
- 500 g Denny mushrooms of your choice (we used portabello and white button mushrooms)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tub (250g) full fat cream cheese
- 1 block (240/300g) mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 16 slices of white toaster bread
- Butter to spread on the bread
WHAT TO DO:
- Roughly chop your mushrooms. Heat the oil in a pan on the fire. Fry the mushrooms until soft, add the garlic and pepper and fry for another minute.
- Butter your slices of bread on the outside. Now spread 8 slices on the inside with a generous helping of cream cheese.
- Top the cream cheese with your mushrooms and then with the grated cheese. Cover with another slice of bread.
- Place the braaibroodjies in a hinged grid and braai over medium coals, turning often to make sure the cheese melts and the outsides are nice and toasted.
- Serve immediately
PORK NECK SOSATIES
This recipe will work great as a starter or mid day snack! Great flavours that come together to compliment the pork.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 4 pork neck steaks
- ½ cup soya sauce
- 2 tots golden syrup
- 2 tots sherry
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Pineapple, cut into blocks
- Sesame seeds
- Spring onions, chopped
WHAT TO DO:
- Cut the pork neck steaks into small blocks, and place into a bowl big enough to also hold the marinade. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
- Mix the soya sauce, syrup and sherry together and pour over the meat, let this marinade while you wait for your fire to burn out and your coals to be just right.
- Skewer the meat alternating between meat and pineapple.
- Braai the skewers over hot coals, until cooked, because the meat is cut into small blocks it will go quick before the sauce starts to burn.
- Before serving, garnish the skewers with sesame seeds and spring onions.
JAN BRAAI VIR ERFENIS 2019 BUNNY CHOW
Culinary -wise, and I don’t mean this in a negative way, the bunny chow is probably the single biggest contribution Durban has made to South African Society. As any South African worth their braai salt knows, the bunny chow is essentially curry served in a hollowed-out piece of bread loaf. There are many different ways and recipes. This one here is a short cut with all the great taste! If you like your bunny chow more on the spicy side, add some chilli powder while cooking.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed
- ½ tot fresh ginger, grated
- 1 packet/tin (50g) of tomato paste
- 500 g Blocks of lamb meat without bones (use leg of lamb or leg chops, that you cut into blocks)
- 1 packet Denny Curry sauce (you can use any flavour Durban, mild malay or butter)
- 1 loaf of bread (unsliced)
- Fresh sliced tomato, onion and coriander to serve
WHAT TO DO:
- Heat oil in your potjie and add the meat, browning it over high heat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. Add the tomato paste and fry for another minute
- Add the Denny Curry sauce to your meat, place the lid on top and let this simmer on low heat, slowly for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. You want the meat to be soft and tender.
- In the meantime slice your bread into 4 equal pieces, and removing the soft inside of your bread, leaving you with the bread bowl.
- Dish the curry into the bread vessel, garnish with fresh coriander and place the bread lid on top.
- Serve with a fresh tomato, onion and coriander salsa
ABALONE AND PERIWINKLE RISOTTO
Many people don’t know, or believe me, when I say that there is an easier way to make risotto. Easier than the traditional Italian way that is. Gone are the days of standing there for hours, adding liquid, little by little, to the pot when I can already tell you how much liquid you need. I believe that life should be easier, so here you go. This recipe is very special, that special certain day that you manage to get your hands on fresh abalone and periwinkle
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 tot butter
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- 500 g mixture of abalone and periwinkle, grounded
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups vegetable stock (preferably liquid stock)
- 1 tin coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 cup risotto rice
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese or matured white cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- fresh lemon wedges (optional)
WHAT TO DO
- Light a big fire with your favourite braai wood.
- While you wait for the fire start to prepare your abalone and periwinkle. Steam the periwinkle in a pot in water on the fire for about 30min. They will start to emerge from the shell when ready. Cut away the parts that you don’t eat, ie the tail. Keep the whiter meaty bits.
- Remove the abalone from the shells and clean them well. Then cut into smaller pieces.
- Place the meat from the abalone and periwinkle through a meat grinder. Take a peeled onion and push it through the grinder at the end to make sure all the last bits of meat went through.
- Heat the oil and butter in your potjie by getting some flames under the potjie, then fry the onion for a few minutes. Now add the garlic and fry for about a minute or two.
- Next, you add the seafood and fry for a few minutes until soft.
- Season the seafood with salt and pepper
- When you feel the moment is right, add the wine and stir so that everything can mix together. Stir until most of the alcohol cooks away. Now add the stock and coconut milk and bring the mixture to the boil.
- Add the rice to the potjie, stir, and cover with a lid. Your temperature under the potjie should now be slightly approaching medium heat. You want a gentle simmer.
- You should lift the lid regularly and stir the mixture to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. In this case, ‘regularly’ means every 5 minutes. This step of simmering and stirring every 5 minutes is a really great task to delegate to other members of your braai gathering. That guest who asks if they can help? Let them do this. It will take about 30–40 minutes for the rice to be cooked.
- The risotto is ready when the rice is thick and creamy and soft. In the highly unlikely event that the risotto goes dry and risks burning before the rice is soft, stir in a bit of water and use that to get yourself to the finish line.
- Stir the cheese into the risotto and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
- Plate the risotto and top with extra cheese and fresh lemon juice and a glass of white wine
MUSHROOM SOSATIES
Mushrooms are seen as the meat of the vegetarian world. It has a lot of nutritional value and can be used in a million different ways, because of its versatility. In this recipe, the mushrooms are the hero, and the sauce brings out the umami flavours in the mushrooms. It is great served as a starter, or part of your main meal.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Metal skewers or bamboo skewers (if you are using bamboo skewers, soak it in water for 15 minutes before)
- 3 punnets of mixed fresh mushrooms (white button, portabelini, big brown)
- 1 red onion, quatered
- 125 ml tomato sauce
- 2 tots soya sauce
- 2 tots golden syrup
- Salt and pepper
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Fresh thyme
WHAT TO DO:
- Carefully arrange the mushrooms on your skewers, alternating with different types of mushrooms for extra taste and it will also look awesome on your skewers. You can leave some whole, chop in half, whatever works the best.
- Mix the tomato sauce ,soya sauce and syrup together.
- Place the mushroom skewers on your braai over hot coals, once they start to caramalise, change shape and colour, brush them with your basting sauce on all sides. Braai for another few minutes
- Place the thyme leaves on top of the grid for the last few minutes for extra flavour. Season the skewers with salt and pepper.
- Once the mushrooms are basted, braaied on all sides and cooked they are ready to serve to your guests. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and extra thyme.
BURGER KING WHOPPER JANBRAAI VERSION
With Burger King being the main sponsor of the 2019 season of Jan Braai vir Erfenis on kykNET, I was allowed full access to their meat plant, restaurants and all other steps in the production process. Far from it being a secret, Burger King in South Africa is very proud of the process and ingredients that goes into making a Whopper (or any of their other products for that matter). After very close inspection and research, I followed my version of the exact recipe of the Whopper burger at Burger King, to make this burger at home on my own braai fire. You will agree, this tastes amazing.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 500g beef (mince) from the front quarter with a little bit of fat, for example chuck
- 500g beef (mince) from the hind quarter with less fat, for example topside, rump or sirloin
- 4 burger rolls
- Hellmans mayonnaise
- Heinz ‘ketchup’ tomato sauce
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- Fresh lettuce
- Cheese slices or grated cheese
- gherkins, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
WHAT TO DO:
- First prize is to have your own mincer at home and this will work best. Alternatively you can also use a meat cleaver and just chop the meat until it resembles mince meat. Option three is to ask your butcher for 1kg of fresh mince that is a blend of front quarter and hind quarter meat. At home cut the meat in blocks, mix the 2 types of meat and then put that through the mincer.
- Use a patty press or your hands to form eight patties with the 1kg of meat. For this recipe I use 1kg of mince to make eight patties. Do not overwork and press the patties too much, we need texture as it adds flavour due to the air pockets in between the meat catching and preserving juices as the meat will cook on the fire.
- Braai the meat over hot coals. Interestingly and importantly, for this recipe you do not need to add any salt. A Burger King Whopper does not have any additional salt added to the meat before or during the cooking process, hence I don’t add it here either. Just before you take the meat off the fire, add the cheese on top of the warm patty so it can melt a little bit. Also toast your buns on both sides so that they are golden brown.
- Build your burger the Burger King way: Start with the bottom toasted buns. Then the patty with the cheese. Repeat with a another patty and cheese (a Whopper only has one patty, but this is my interpretation so I use two. At the real Burger King I always take my Whopper with cheese so that’s why I do it like this here as well). Next place two slices of tomato on top of the patty. Now add the sliced gherkins, onion and drizzle tomato sauce on top of that. This is the exact order of proceedings in a Burger King kitchen and following this order will get you the closest to the authentic Burger King taste. Next you spread mayonnaise on the inside toasted side of the top bun, place lettuce on top of the mayo and close the burger. Art!
FISH CAKES
Fish cakes are packed with flavour, and as they are boneless they’re also easy to eat. It’s a great way to use leftover braaied fish. However, once you master this recipe you’ll probably find yourself running out of leftover fish, and you’ll have to braai fish from scratch to satisfy your fish cake craving
WHAT YOU NEED: (serves 6)
1 kg braaied/cooked hake or other white fish (about 2 cups flaked boneless fish)
2 cups white bread crumbs
1 onion (peeled and grated)
1 tomato (watery seeds removed, then grated)
1 tot parsley (finely chopped)
1 tot fresh coriander (finely chopped)
1 tot fresh dill (finely chopped)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tsp salt(less if your fish was seasoned during the braai)
½ tsp black pepper
2 tots vegetable oil (for frying)
fresh lemon wedges (for serving)
For the serving sauce:
1 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
1 tot wholegrain mustard
1 tot capers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed
For the salsa:
500g mixed tomatoes chopped roughly
1 red onion, chopped
2 mielies (corn) charred on the fire and kernels cut off the cob
Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
WHAT TO DO:
- If you are using raw fish, cook it first. The easiest way would be to quickly braai it over hot coals, or to pan fry it in a little oil. This should not take more than 15 minutes.
- With clean hands, flake the cooked fish (make sure you get rid of all the bones) and then combine with all the other ingredients (except the oil and lemon wedges) in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Shape the mixture into golf ball-size portions, flatten them slightly and put them on a tray. If you don’t want your tray to smell fishy afterwards, first cover it with a sheet of baking paper.
- Over a medium-hot fire, heat the oil in a large flat-bottomed cast-iron pot or fireproof pan. Fry the fish cakes in batches on both sides, turning each one only once. When they are golden brown on both sides, they are ready. This should take about 5–8 minutes. This is not a difficult task and can be outsourced to someone who asks ‘how can I help?’
- As you take them out of the pan, place the fish cakes on a couple of sheets of kitchen paper to absorb any extra oil.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the sauce and set aside. Mix all the ingredients together for the salsa and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Then plate and serve your fish cakes on top of the salsa with mayonnaise sauce, and fresh lemon wedges.
AND …You can use any edible fish for this recipe, and your choice of fish will obviously decide the flavour of the fish cakes. Hake works well, but if you’re feeling royal use salmon or trout. If you’re on a camping trip in the middle of Africa, tinned tuna is the way
CEVICHE
Whenever you get the opportunity to get super fresh fish from the ocean, and it is big enough, use half of the fish for ceviche as a starter. There is nothing quite like super fresh fish served like this. It does not involve any braaiing, the fish is “cooked” by the lemon and lime juice. Great starter for your next fish braai
WHAT YOU NEED:
About 200g fresh white firm fish
Juice of 4- 6 limes (if you can’t get hold of limes, lemons will do the job
1 red chilli, chopped finely
1 small red onion, chopped
2 mielies (corn)
1 baguette or similar bread
Handful of fresh coriander and parsley, chopped roughly
WHAT TO DO:
- Light your fire and while you wait for the coals start prepping your fish. Fillet the fish and remove any bones that might be present. Now cut the fish into the same size blocks of about 1 cm.
- Place the fish in a bowl, squeeze all the lime juice over, season with salt and pepper and let it rest for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal. The juice will “cook” the fish.
- Braai your mielies over hot coals until slightly charred and let it cool down. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast until lightly brown and toasted on both sides. Once your mielies are cool, use your sharpest knife and cut the kernels from the cob.
- Mix the mielies, chilli and coriander with the fish and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the ceviche straight on to your toasted bread and enjoy!
ANCHOVY AND PECAN NUT PASTA
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4 as light main meal, 6 as side dish)
500 g linguini or spaghetti
2 tots olive oil
10 anchovy fillets
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
½ cup pecan nuts (in Italy they used walnuts, but pecan nuts are widely available in SA and close enough in taste)
3 tots cream
2 tots chopped parsley
salt and pepper
WHAT TO DO
1. Pound the nuts using a pestle and mortar. Alternatively use a rolling pin or wine
bottle to crush them finely on a chopping board.
2. Use a cast-iron pot to cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
This involves boiling water in a pot, adding salt to that water, and cooking the pasta
for roughly 8 minutes in the boiling water (but check the packaging as cooking times
differ). If you are at the sea, use fresh seawater that already contains salt for this step. But
not seawater with sand.
3. When the pasta is 90% done (just before al dente), remove from the pot, drain and
set aside. Important: Save some of the water that you boiled the pasta in somewhere, as
you will need this later.
4. Add olive oil to the now empty pot and fry the anchovies, garlic and nuts. Stir
continuously and use a wooden spoon to press and mash the anchovies until they
disintegrate and melt into the oil. This could happen as quickly as in 1 minute so keep a
constant eye on the pot and don’t try to multitask otherwise it will burn.
5. Add the pasta to the anchovy-and-nut mixture in the pot and stir through. Add the
cream and about half a cup of the water that you boiled the pasta in, just enough to
create a bit of sauce and to keep the pasta from burning. Let that liquid boil and use a
spoon or fork to toss the pasta around a bit. If your pot runs dry, add more water. The
amount of water you need to add will depend on the heat and the size and shape of
your pot and might differ from one time to the next.
6. As soon as the pasta is heated through again and the sauce thickened to your liking,
stir in the parsley. The dish is now ready. Steps 5 and 6 combined should take minutes
you can count on one hand.
7. Once it is served up, top the pasta with shavings of pecorino or Parmesan cheese.
As the anchovies already added salt to the dish, let each guest add their own salt and
pepper to taste.
AND . . .
? When you get hold of a whole fresh fish, braai that as explained on pages 98 and 100 and serve this
pasta on the side.
? You can also prepare this meal in a normal pot on a stove but it won’t be as much fun.
I discovered this dish during a trip down the Amalfi coast in Italy at a restaurant situated on a rocky beach in a
small fishing village. In worse than broken Italian I asked for whatever the chef considers his speciality dish. In
front of my eyes a fresh fish was carried from a boat into the restaurant and that same fish was on my table a little
while later, with this pasta on the side. As with all my favourite Italian dishes,
Pina Colada Chicken Burger
One of my favourite cocktails is a Pina colada. The base of this cocktail is then inspired and used in this recipe. Serve it with your own home made Pina colada cocktail at your next braai.
WHAT YOU NEED:
For the burgers:
4 burger rolls
2 tomatoes sliced
Lettuce
1 fresh pineapple, peeled and sliced into rings
4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 packet streaky bacon
For the sauce:
1 tot olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
5cm of fresh ginger, grated
1 tin coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 shot dark rum
WHAT TO DO:
- Use cling film and a heavy object like a wine bottle to flatten your chicken breasts. Cover the chicken breast with the cling film and start hitting the meat gently, making sure they are even and the same thickness all over.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, or your favourite braai spice and braai over medium coals for about 12 minutes until cooked.
- On the side, braai your bacon in your grid until crispy. Also place the fresh pineapple rings on the grid for a few minutes until lightly charred.
- While your chicken is on the braai, start making your sauce, heat the oil in your pan. Fry the garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, juice and rum. Let this simmer and reduce until your chicken is ready.
- Build your burger by starting with lettuce, then tomato, then bacon, pineapple, chicken and lastly generously pour over your Pina colada sauce.
THE NEXT BEST GARLIC BREAD
![Screen Shot 2018-12-21 at 15.44.04](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-21-at-15.44.04-e1545400229281.png)
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Use your food blender and combine all the ingredients together for your butter. So that will be everything except for the bread. If you do not have a blender or stick blender, use your sharpest knife, chop everything super fine and mix into the butter with the lemon juice and olive oil with a wooden spoon until it is a smooth mixture and everything is combined.This can be smooth mixture or you can leave a few bits of chunky olives and garlic in between.
- Wrap the bread in a double layer of foil.
- Now place this bread on top of your grid and toast the foil wrapped bread slow and easy over medium coals making sure to turn it often so that all the sides are evenly toasted and all the butter melted inside into the bread.
- You want it crispy on the outside and soft and full of flavour in the inside. Serve straight from the fire.
THE BILTONG BRAAIBROODJIE
![Screen Shot 2018-12-21 at 15.25.23](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-21-at-15.25.23-e1545398833424.png)
1 tot olive oil
- Heat oil in your pan and fry the onions until soft.
- Add the sugar and balsamic to the onions and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 – 20 minutes until the onions are sweet and sticky. Set aside to cool.
- Use a food blender or your sharpest knife to chop your biltong.
- Spread the outsides of the bread with butter.
- Spread a nice thick layer of cream cheese on one side of the bread.
- Top with caramalised onions and then biltong.
- Lastly sprinkle the grated cheese over and cover with another slice of bread that is buttered on the outside.
- Place the bread into a hinged braai grid and braai over medium heat, turning often, until the bread is toasted on the outside and the cheese melted on the inside.
THE BURGER BRAAIBROODJIE
It is well known that the braaibroodjie is the best addition to any braai. Then we also have the burger, which is the best complete meal to serve at a braai with friends. In this recipe I discovered this great gadget, a square meat press. And so the burger braaibroodjie was born.
WHAT YOU NEED:
1kg good quality beef mince
Salt and pepper
12 slices of white toaster bread
Soft butter (to spread on the bread)
2 Tomatoes, sliced
300g cheddar cheese, grated
1 red onion, sliced thinly
Chutney
WHAT TO DO:
- Use your recently washed hands and divide the beef mince evenly into 6 heaps. Now use your square shaped burger press and shape the patties. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Use a hinged grid and braai the patties over hot coals for 8 -10 minutes until nice and crispy on the outside and medium on the inside.Let the patties rest for a few mintues while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Spread the butter on the outsides of your bread. Now spread a layer of chutney, then your beef patty, topped with tomatoes, onions and cheese. Close the burger with the other slice of bread and remember, butter on the outside.
- PLace the Burger Braaibroodjies carefully into your hinged grid and braai over very medium coals. You want the cheese to melt and the bread to toast. Turn the grid often to get the desired effect.
- Remve the braaibroodjies from the grid, slice in half and serve immediately
Paprika and Cheese Potatoes
During the collection of recipes for the book Shisanyama, I received a number of versions of baked and braaied potatoes with cheese. This is my version, drawing inspiration from various solutions to the same problem, which is how to do some nice potatoes and cheese on the braai. To my mind, it’s always easier to get potatoes soft with a bit of boiling in a potjie, as opposed to trying to bake them soft from scratch. By using your cast-iron potjie, you limit dishes and impart maximum flavour.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
1 kg bag of baby potatoes
2 tots olive oil
2 tots butter
1 onion (chopped)
1 bell pepper (green, yellow or red, seeded and sliced into strips)
8 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 tsp salt1 tsp pepper
300 g Cheddar cheese (grated)
½ tot paprika
WHAT TO DO
- Wash the potatoes, add them to your potjie and boil in water until soft.
- Now drain the water from the potjie but keep the soft-boiled potatoes in the potjie. Add the olive oil, butter, chopped onion, bell pepper strips, garlic, salt and pepper to the potjie and now stir-fry everything for a few minutes until some things become caramelised and golden brown.
- Now use your wooden spoon or braai tongs and press on some of the potatoes so they burst at the seams, allowing some extra flavours to develop and penetrate the potatoes. Stir-fry for another minute or three.
- If things at the bottom of the potjie get sticky and want to burn, add a bit of water, olive oil, beer, wine or stock and scrape lose anything sticky.
- You now add the grated cheese and sprinkle paprika on top of that. Close the lid of the potjie and take the potjie off the fire. Add a generous helping of coals onto the lid of the potjie – as much as you can fit onto the lid – and wait a few minutes for the cheese to start melting. Once the cheese has melted, your potatoes are good to go!
CHOCOLATE RISOTTO
This is one of those “excuse me?” recipes. People will think you have made a mistake when you tell them you are serving chocolate risotto for dessert. But don’t be dissuaded by their disbelief, because serving this will make you stand out as a culinary genius – this recipe is a real showstopper. It’s simple, easy to make, and most importantly, absolutely decadently delicious.
WHAT YOU NEED: (Feeds 6)
2 tots butter
1 cup risotto rice
2 tots cocoa powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
500 ml fresh cream
1 tin coconut milk
250 ml milk
For serving:
1 chocolate slab of your choice
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Any type of cookies, biscuits of wafer chocolates like Nutty Crust, or chocolate fingers like Kit-Kat or wafer biscuits.
WHAT TO DO:
- Place all the ingredients for the risotto into your pot – you are basically making a soup with all the ingredients – and then add the risotto. Stir and mix everything together. The cocoa will drift a bit on top, but as soon as you add heat, everything will mix together.
- Place the potjie on the fire and start cooking the risotto over very mild and medium heat. You do not have to stir all the time, but with ingredients like milk and cream, you need to stir more often than not.
- Let this slowly cook and simmer, stirring more often than not, for 30-40 minutes. If you think you need a bit more liquid, add a bit of water. The risotto will become thick and creamy once cooked and ready.
- While the risotto is still cooking, roast your coconut in a pan for a few minutes until golden brown. Now, grate the chocolate over the risotto, the same way you would do with parmesan cheese if this was a savoury recipe.
- Dish up the risotto into your dedicated bowls or cups and sprinkle the roasted coconut over and serve with a cookie or biscuit of your choice.
BANANA BREAD POTJIE
In a world of uncertainty, there are always things you can be sure of. Bananas becoming too old to eat before you’ve got to them is one of those certainties. This might happen at home in your kitchen, but very often also happens in one of your food crates while touring or on holiday. When those brown spots of age appear on your bananas, this is your cue to make and bake a banana bread potjie – something absolutely fantastic.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes 1 loaf)
6 ripe bananas
1 cup butter (melted)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups white bread or
cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tot milk
WHAT TO DO
1. Start off by peeling the bananas, cutting them into smaller pieces and mashing them with a fork.
2. In your no. 10 flat-bottomed potjie, mix the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. This mixing can be done with a fork or a wooden spoon.
3. Now add the mashed bananas and lemon juice and mix well until you have a smooth batter.
4. Add the flour and baking soda and mix that in. Lastly add the milk and mix that through to form a smooth batter.
5. Put the lid on your potjie and bake the banana bread with the potjie on a stand on medium-hot coals, with some coals on top of the lid as well. It should take about 50 minutes until cooked and golden brown but if the heat is too high, it might be quicker, so check after 30 minutes so it does not burn.
6. Serve chunks of banana bread generously lathered with butter
Steak with marrow bone sauce
- Light a big fire and start prepping your marrow bones. Braai the marrow bones with the flesh side down for 3 – 4 minutes. Turn the marrow bones around and braai with the flesh side upwards. Season with salt and pepper and braai until the marrow starts to bubble and cook.
- Remove from the braai and scrape braaied marrow from the bones into your pan.
- Heat your pan and fry onion&garlic until soft with the marrow.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the dijon mustard and muscadel or sherry. Let this simmer for a few minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup beef stock and let this sauce simmer and reduce until nice and thick and rich, while you braai your steak.
- Slice your steak into strips and serve the steak dressed with the sauce.
Pot roasted buns
We all agree on the cult status of braaibroodjies, or as the Queen refers to it, South African fire-toasted braai sandwiches. But there are also two other major players in the braai-bread market. They are of course roosterkoek – bread rolls baked on the grid – and potbrood, which is a bread baked in your potjie on the fire. What follows below drew inspiration from various submissions. And so, for our next magic trick, we’re packing the flavour right into the dough and we’re giving the rolls the brilliant benefit of some potjie taste!
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 8)
1 onion (chopped)
1 packet (200g) bacon (chopped)
500g white bread or cake flour
1 packet (10 g) instant yeast
1 tot sugar
½ tot salt
1 cup Cheddar cheese (grated)
1 tot fresh oregano (chopped)
1 cup water (lukewarm)
2 tots olive oil
1 cup fresh cream
butter (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
1. Heat some oil in your fireproof pan and fry the chopped onion and bacon until cooked. You can also do this step on the stove in your kitchen.
2. Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the bacon, onion, cheese and oregano, and mix well.
3. Add a little bit of lukewarm water to the mixture and mix well, adding a bit more water at a time until you have what resembles a dough. You will need roughly one cup of lukewarm water for 500g of flour, but add a little more if you need to.
4. Use clean hands to knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes until it is soft and elastic.
5. Place the dough mixture back into your mixing bowl, leave it in a warm place, for example, the general vicinity of the fire or covered with a cloth in the sun. Leave it to rise for about 30 minutes.
6. After half an hour, knock down the dough, kneading for another few minutes.
7. Add olive oil to your no.10 flat-bottomed potjie, making sure the bottom and all the sides are coated in oil.
8. Shape the dough into balls, somewhere between the size of golf balls and tennis balls, and pack them into the potjie in a single layer.
9.Pour the cream over the dough balls and sprinkle any extra grated cheese you coincidently have lying around over that.
10.Now put the lid on the potjie and bake over medium coals, also adding a few coals to the top of the potjie lid. Don’t be overly aggressive – bread has a tendency to burn.
11. After about 40 minutes, carefully lift the lid, making sure that no ash or coal from the lid falls into the potjie. The bread should be golden brown and baked. Serve warm from the fire, lathered with butter
Chocolate Braaibroodjies
So we all agree that a braaibroodjie is probably the best meal in the world. Then it just makes sense to make a dessert braaibroodjie. Now you can have braaibroodjies for starters, main meals and dessert.
WHAT YOU NEED: ( makes 8 braaibroodjies)
16 slices of white bread
Soft butter to spread on the bread
1 jar Nutella or chocolate spread
2 x 100g slabs of hazelnut chocolate, chopped finely
1 cup pecan nuts, chopped finely
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
WHAT TO DO:
- Butter the outsides of all your bread slices. Turn the bread around and spread Nutella over the inside of 8 slices of bread.
- Cover the Nutella slices generously with chopped chocolate and pecan nuts.
- Cover the bread with the other slice of bread and braai in a hinged grid over medium heat. Turn often to make sure the chocolate melts evenly, and the outside of the bread is nice and toasted.
- Just before they are done, mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the sugar over the toasted bread. Toast on the fire again on both sides for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Serve the chocolate braaibroodjies with ice cream, or just as is!
Mieliepap Fish cakes
The mieliepap adds a great crunch and texture to this recipe. You are welcome to use any type of firm white fish, even left over snoek from your braai can work.
WHAT YOU NEED:
500 g fresh fish
3 spring onions
1 tot fresh parsley, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 potatoes, cooked and mashed
Salt and pepper
1 cup maize meal
For the sauce:
250 ml french style mayonnaise
3 medium size dill gherkins, chopped\
1 tot chives, chopped
WHAT TO DO:
- Season your fish with salt and pepper and braai over medium heat for 8 – 10 minutes until the fish is cooked and flaky. In a pot, cook the potatoes, leaving the skins on, until very soft
- Let the fish cool down while you mash your potatoes and season it with salt and pepper.
- Flake the fish and add to the mash potatoes. Add the parsley, lemon juice and zest and mix well to combine with a wooden spoon. Taste again to see if you should add more salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle a clean surface with your maize meal and place a scoop of the potato and fish mixture on the surface. No dust the tops of these potato scoops with more maize meal.
- Use your spatula to flatten the fish cakes and grill them over flames on your fire on your cast iron plate in a bit of oil over medium heat until the maize meal is brown and crunchy.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the sauce and serve the fish cakes with the sauce.
MUSHROOM BURGERS
This is a revolutionary burger. It’s the vegetarian meal that meat-eaters love. I like to make them using those
normal supermarket hamburger rolls with no substance, as it keeps the focus on the mushroom.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
6 giant mushrooms
6 soft hamburger rolls
plain cream cheese
feta cheese (I like the kind with bits of black pepper but any type will do)
garlic butter
WHAT TO DO
1. Slice the rolls and spread cream cheese onto the bottom half of each roll.
2. Braai the mushrooms on medium-to-hot coals until nicely browned and fairly soft, for a total of about 6–8 minutes. Braai them for 3 minutes with the bottom (black) side facing downwards. Then flip them over, scoop a bit of garlic butter into each and then braai with the top (white) side facing downwards until they are soft. They turn quite easily and if you are gentle they will not break apart, so either an open or hinged grid is fine.
3. Put one mushroom on each prepared roll and crumble feta cheese over that.
4. The burgers can be eaten immediately and juices from the mushrooms will seep into the roll as you eat.
WHAT TO DO FOR GARLIC BUTTER
Very simply you mix chopped garlic and butter. If you have parsley on hand you chop that and mix it in as well. For 6 mushrooms you’ll need 1–2 tots of butter, 1–2 cloves of garlic and ½ tot of parsley.
Tomato Risotto
This is comfort food at its best! Serve it as a main meal or as a side to your boerewors or steak braai. Also note that I make this risotto in my own way, you first make a soup full of flavour, then add the risotto rice, and then let it simmer until thick and creamy.
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 tot olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin tomato puree
1 tin cherry tomatoes
500 ml chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1 cup Risotto rice
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
WHAT TO DO:
- Heat the oil in your potjie and fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and cherry tomatoes and this simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes for the flavours to develop.
- Add the cup of risotto, stir, and cover with the lid.
- Let this pot simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until the risotto is thick and creamy and all the liquid is absorbed. You have to ift the lid and stir every 4 to 6 minutes, to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the potjie.
- When you are happy with the consistancy of the risotto, add the cheese, and mix well.
- Serve with fresh basil, black pepper and your favourite braai food.
Mieliepap Tert
The traditional recipe for the iconic mieliepap tert consists of layers of pap, tomato, cheese and other delicious ingredients like bacon, mushrooms. In this case, I just mixed it all together, let the flavours combine, and in such a way you create this amazing flavour of pap and all the other ingredients together. Give it a try next time you are having.a braai.
WHAT YOU NEED:
For the pap:
2 cups maize meal
3 cups water
salt
For the rest of the mixture:
1 tot olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 packet streaky bacon
1 punnet mushrooms, sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup cream
WHAT TO DO:
- First prepare your pap. Mix the pap, water and salt together, let the pap simmer on low heat for 30 minutes with a lid, stirring every now and then until the pap is cooked and a nice texture. Set aside.
- In your black no.10 potjie,on the fire, heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the bacon and fry until cooked. Then add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until soft and cooked.
- Now add your cooked pap, break it up into pieces and mix everything together in the potjie.
- Add the tomatoes, stir, then add the cream and grated cheese. Mix it lightly together and cover with the lid. Add coals on top of the lid and let the potjie bake over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Serve with your favourite braai meat and enjoy!
MY FIRST FAVOURITE PASTA
During my formative years of high school, my father expected me to start taking over part of the braai duties, like making the fire. As I progressed in my braai career, I was later even allowed to turn the grid, on his instruction from a chair of course. At that time my mother also started teaching me a few kitchen fundamentals, like how to make a lasagne. During this era of my life, one of our family’s favourite restaurants served a pasta that I absolutely loved. So much so that at that young and inexperienced age I embarked on a research and development project to recreate that dish at home.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4–6)
500 g pasta
1 tot olive oil
1 tot butter
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 packet bacon (250 g, chopped)
1 punnet mushrooms (250 g)
4 chicken breast fillets
salt and pepper
1 cup cream
fresh green herbs (chopped, optional for serving)
lemon wedges (to serve, optional)
WHAT TO DO
1. Place your classic three-legged potjie on the fire and boil the pasta in salted water until 80% done. The trick here is to not boil it all the way, as we’re going to add it back to the meal later for a second round of cooking. Drain the partly cooked pasta from the pot and preserve some of the liquid in a cup.
2. Put the potjie back on the fire and add the oil, butter and chopped onion. Sauté the onion for a few minutes until it starts to get a nice colour.
3. Now add the chopped garlic, chopped bacon and mushrooms to the pot. Depending on the size of the mushrooms and how much you like to make extra work for yourself, you can either chop or not chop them. Stir-fry until the bacon and mushrooms are cooked.
4. While the bacon and mushrooms are cooking, scrape some coals from the fire and braai the 4 chicken breast fillets. You can season them with normal salt and pepper or your favourite braai spice. Chicken breast fillets take about 6 to 10 minutes to braai, so this meal is going to come together very nicely at the end!
5. Back to the pot: Once you are happy with the bacon and mushrooms, add the 80% cooked pasta from step 1 back to the pot and add the cream to it. Stir through paying specific attention to the fact that the pot should not run dry and burn. If at any stage the pot looks a bit dry, add some or all of the pasta water you preserved in step 1.
6. Once the chicken breasts are braaied, remove them from the fire and artfully slice them diagonally into strips. Now mix the chicken breast strips into the pasta.
AND…
If you’re so inclined and attuned to the finer details, the meal can be finished with a drizzle of high-quality South African olive oil, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.
SHERRY BOEREWORS SLIDERS
A ‘slider’ is the culinary term for a miniature hamburger or more accurately, a small piece of meat served on a mini bread roll. Forming and braaing miniature little patties always seemed like far too much hard work to me, as both the preparation and the braaing would be complex. Boerewors was an easy solution to this. My other problem with sliders is that they are sometimes heavy on the bread and light on the meat. Again, this is something we can solve by simply not closing them with another piece of bread, thereby upping our ratio of meat to bread. Sherry, the original Old Brown type, is a very good value-for-money product to braai with, and one of the core ingredients of this recipe. The sweetness of the sherry complements the spiciness of the boerewors perfectly.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes about 30 pieces)
1.2 kg boerewors (medium thick)
2 cups sherry
1 tot olive oil
1 tot butter
3 onions (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic
1 long fresh baguette
skewers
WHAT TO DO
1. Cut the boerewors into pieces of about 6 cm each.
2. Put the pieces of meat into a bowl and pour the sherry over them. Cover the bowl and let the boerewors marinate in a fridge for a few hours.
3. Remove the boerewors pieces from the sherry and skewer them. It doesn’t matter how many skewers you use as it’s not a case of a skewer per person. Do not discard the sherry.
4. When the fire is lit, heat up a fireproof pan or potjie and sauté the chopped onion in the oil and butter for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
5. Pour all the sherry that the boerewors was swimming in into the pan or potjie with the onion and garlic and bring to the boil. Stir regularly and let this cook and reduce by half.
6. Put the marinated boerewors skewers in a hinged grid, close the grid and braai over hot coals for about 8 minutes until done. Give each side at least two looks at the coals, meaning you need to turn the grid at least three times in total.
7. During the braai, you or one of your braai party members can cut the baguette in thin slices (we want maximum meat-to-bread ratio so keep the slices thin).
8. Arrange the slices of baguette on a platter and give each piece some of the sherry and onion sauce.
9. When the boerewors is ready, take it off the fire, pull out the skewers and place a piece of braaied sherry-infused boerewors on each prepared slice of baguette.
CINNABUNS
For the dough:
500 g cake flour
1 tot sugar
1 packet (10 g) instant yeast
Pinch of salt
1 cup lukewarm water
For the filling:
1/2 cup tots soft Butter
2 tots Cinnamon
2 tots Soft brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raisins
2 tots honey
For the sauce
:1 tub (250 g) cream cheese
1/2 cup milk (depending on how you like the sauce to be)
1 cup icing sugar
What to do:
- Mix the flour, sugar and yeast together. Pour the lukewarm water over the flour and start to knead the mixture until you have a soft elastic ball of dough.
- Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise to double the size.
- Dust a clean surface with flour and knock down the dough for the 2nd time. Use your rolling pin or any heavy object and roll out the dough into a big rectangle.
- Spread the butter over the dough, followed the cinnamon, sugar, nuts, raisins and finally drizzling some honey all over.
- Use your hands and neatly roll op the rectangle, making sure to keep all the stuffing inside.
- Cut the long log into smaller rounds, and place into your potjie that has been prepared with butter,oil or non stick spray.
- Bake on the fire o medium hear with coals at the bottom and on top for about 30 – 40 minutes. until cooked inside.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the sauce , and drip over the cinnabns.
BRAAI FREEDOM FIGHTER
The Braai Freedom Fighter does not play games. It’s a robust burger with little interest in debate and it dominates your plate. You use 100% pure red meat (steak) to make the burger patties, and the sauce is made with the finest red ingredients known to braai kind – significant figureheads like red onions, red bell peppers, paprika, cayenne pepper and tomato. Even the stock we use to bring it all together is beef stock, stock from a red-blooded 100% red meat animal. If the ferocity of the Braai Freedom Fighter scares you, enjoy it with a dollop of fresh sour cream, as the two complement each other very well.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
1 kg steak mince
4 hamburger rolls (buttered)
1 tot olive oil
2 red onions (sliced or chopped)
2 red bell peppers
2 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped)
1 tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper
2 tots paprika
2 tomatoes (chopped)
1 tot tomato paste
½ cup beef stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black
pepper sour cream (for serving; a 250 ml tub is more than enough)
parsley (to garnish)
WHAT TO DO
1. Heat the oil in a potjie and fry the onions and peppers for about 4 minutes until they start to soften, then throw in the garlic. Onions take longer to cook than garlic, so always fry onions before adding the garlic. This is general advice and is not only applicable to this recipe.
2. Add the chilli powder and paprika and toss to release their flavours. Then also add the tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock, and mix to combine them all. Bring to the boil, close the lid and simmer until you start to braai the patties. Basically you want to let it simmer so that the flavour can develop while the fire burns down and you can start to braai. Check every now and then to stir the potjie and make sure it doesn’t cook dry. You want the sauce to thicken but you don’t want it to burn.
3. Making and braaing 100% beef patties is comprehensively described for hand-chopped burgers (page 28). In the case of the Braai Freedom Fighter I usually go for homemade machine-minced meat. It’s a little less effort than hand-chopped mince but the Braai Freedom Fighter sauce is so dominant that you will barely notice the difference. Otherwise get good mince from your butcher.
4. Form the 1 kg of fantastic mince into four patties using your recently washed hands and braai over very hot coals for 8 minutes, turning only once. Grind or sprinkle sea salt and black pepper on both sides just before, or during the braai. The patties get no other binding ingredients or seasoning.
5. When you start braaing the patties, take the lid off the sauce and let it reduce to your liking, adding extra heat under the potjie if necessary to get it reducing more rapidly.
6. During the final minutes of the braai, toast the insides of the cut and buttered rolls on the grid over the coals for bonus points.
7. Assemble the burgers: Roll, patty, Braai Freedom Fighter sauce, dollop sour cream, chopped parsley.
ITALIAN BRAAI BRUCHETTA
Serve this Italian inspired meal as a snack before you start to braai your main course. This recipe is super easy, but looks very impressive. Friends and family will all be impressed and asking you for the recipe.
WHAT YOU NEED:
For the olive oil spread:
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped roughly
Few sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tots Olive oil
For the tomato salad
500g cherry tomatoes chopped roughly
1 tot Olive oil
1 tot Balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bunch of fresh basil
For the tomato skewers:
500 g tomatoes
Skewers
French Baguette bread
2 wheels (200 g) feta cheese
WHAT TO DO:
- Place the garlic, thyme and salt into you mortar and use the pestle to make a smooth paste. Add the olive oil and mix well. I you don’t have a mortar and pestle, chop everything together as finely as possible and add to the olive oil.
- Spread the bread slices with garlic olive oil and lightly toast the bread slices on a grid over hot coals with the oiled side down.
- Place the mixed tomatoes on the skewers and braai over hot coals until roasted and charred.
- Make the tomato salad by chopping up the tomatoes, seasoning with salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Build your braai bruchetta’s by starting with the toasted bread, top with tomato salad, feta cheese en the roasted tomatoes
THE BASH BURGER
This burger might end up being one of your favourite hamburger recipes on the braai. The bashed burger method is the secret to crispy edges and a juicy burger. The main idea is to not pre make or form the patties but to divide the mince into portions, but those portions of mince on a searing hot cast iron plate or pan and to then use a flat object to bash (smash, strike, hit, beat, thump, slap, smack, batter, pound, pummel, thrash, rap, buffet, hammer, bang, knock; wallop, belt, whack, clout, clip, clobber, bop, biff, sock, deck) the meat into a flatter form resembling a patty.
Here are some basic guidelines to follow when making your Bash Burger:
- You need something to bash the burgers with. A heavy spatula made from metal will do the job.
- The less you handle or touch the meat, the better. You want loose ground beef. The more you mould it, the more packed it will become and that is not what you want to achieve.
- You want lots of air pockets in the beef mince so that the juices and fat released by the cooking can sit there and end up in your mouth. This is why it’s juicy.
- You want the edges of the burger to be edgy and crispy. Bashing the meat means pieces of mince get very acquainted with the cast iron, and those pieces get very crispy.
- All you need to add to the beef mince is salt and pepper, nothing else.
- Use good quality beef mince, with a good percentage of fat, as the fat adds flavour to the burger.
- Use a cast iron grill pan that you can place directly on the fire. You need a flat surface, that can handle very high heat.
- Use good quality cheddar cheese and soft burger buns and make the special burger sauce in the recipe below.
WHAT YOU NEED: (feeds 4)
- 1kg good quality beef mince
- Salt and pepper
- 4 soft hamburger buns
- 8 slices of good quality cheddar cheese
For the sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise (French style)
- 1 tot tomato sauce
- 1 tot Dijon mustard
- 1 gherkin (normal-sized, chopped)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- Prepare your sauce first: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and blend with your stick blender, or strong arm and whisk, until smooth. Alternatively add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. And then your last resort will just be to chop everything really finely and mix together. Please note, this sauce is based on google searches of what goes into the sauce used by the Shake Shack burger restaurants in New York. It’s not their sauce or recipe, but it tries to be and I think it succeeds.
- Divide your mince into 8 heaps, do not handle the meat too much. Use your recently washed hands and lightly form the meat into a ball and remember to keep the edges of the meat edgy and loose.
- Place your cast iron grill pan directly onto the flames to get a nice hot surface. Pour a little bit of olive oil on the pan.
- Place your 8 balls of meat on the hot surface and bash them with some pressure with your metal spatula, just once, making sure they are nice and flat and the same all over. Season with salt and pepper.
- Flip the patties over using your spatula to scrape it loose from the grill pan and season the other side with salt and pepper.
- Braai the other side for 3 or more minutes, place a slice of cheese on top of each patty in the last minute of the braai and take it off from the pan to prevent over cooking.
- Prepare your burgers by placing sauce at the bottom of the bun, then a cheese patty on top of the sauce, followed then by another cheese patty, and then more sauce if you want. Serve immediately
MACARONI AND CHEESE POTJIE
People refer to certain meals as ‘comfort food’, which is strange because I find eating most foods comforting. Nonetheless, some foods are more comforting than others, with a macaroni and cheese potjie right up there. You can either serve this as a main course, or as a very impressive side dish to braaied meat like steak, lamb or chicken. If you’re serving it as a side to meat, add a crisp green salad to complete the meal.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as a main course)
500 g macaroni pasta
water and salt (to boil the pasta)
a bit of olive oil
2 tots butter
2 tots cake flour
1 litre milk (4 cups)
400 g mature Cheddar cheese (grated)
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
a little bit of ground nutmeg (optional)
WHAT TO DO
1. In a big enough potjie over a hot fire, bring 5 litres of water with about half a tot of salt to boiling point. Add all of the macaroni to the bubbling water and cook for exactly 7 minutes. The noodles will still be slightly undercooked, but they will continue cooking later when baking in the sauce. Drain off all water immediately and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to prevent the macaroni from sticking together.
2. Return the empty potjie to the fire (not too hot), then add butter and wait until it melts. Add the flour and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Now add the milk bit by bit, stirring continuously. You will notice how the butter and flour mixture first grows and absorbs all the milk you add, and how this thick paste then starts turning into a sauce as you add more and more milk. If you add the milk too quickly, lumps will form. If at any time you notice lumps forming, first stir them vigorously into the rest of the mixture before adding more milk.
4. When all the milk is in, bring the sauce to a slow simmer and add the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper (and nutmeg), and stir well.
5. Now add the cooked macaroni to the sauce, stir to coat the pasta well, then remove the potjie from the fire and cover with a lid until serving time. As the pot will keep its heat for a few minutes, you will be able to quickly braai some steak over very hot coals in this time. Just before serving the pasta, give it another quick toss.
6. If you have cheese left over, sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the meal in the potjie, close the lid and let the cheese melt by placing some coals on top of the lid.
AND …
For bonus points, you can braai strips of bacon on a grid over the coals (yes, this is possible) or in a pan. Chop them up when they are nice and crispy and mix into the potjie with the pasta during step 5.
The quality and taste of the cheese used will influence the end product. For a recipe like this, I would suggest using Cheddar that was aged for at least 3 months. Using more mature Cheddar or even a variety of mature cheeses like Cheddar, Parmesan, Pecorino, Gruyere and blue cheese will increase the depth of flavour.
JAN BRAAI FAMILY MUSTARD
This is a real family recipe, from my own family. My grandfather used to make this mustard, which we had with any and all braaied meat, but to my mind it goes best with steak and pork chops or pork ribs, be they spare ribs or baby back ribs. I have fond memories of summer holiday braaied ribs and putu pap for breakfast with a generous helping of this mustard. The other thing it goes very well with is any leftover braaied meat in a sandwich the next day. My grandfather taught the recipe to my father, who taught it to me. For some inexplicable reason, I’ve never included this recipe in any of my prior books but here it is now, probably fitting to sit in this book, which really is a collection of family recipes from all across South Africa.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes 1 jar)
1 cup smooth apricot jam
1 tin (50 g) or ¾ cup hot English mustard powder
1 tot oil
1 tot grape vinegar
1 tsp salt
WHAT TO DO
1. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix everything well. The mustard powder, as well as the apricot jam, has a tendency to make small lumps. You need to stir and press on all the lumps till they are gone.
2. Put the mustard into a glass jar with a sealable lid and let it rest in a cool place for a few days. You can start using the mustard with braaied meat on the same day, but it’s better after a few days.
AND …
No one in my family has any idea how long the shelf life of this mustard is. In three generations, we’ve never made a batch that wasn’t finished before it went off.
ROCKET SIRLOIN WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION
Serving steak exactly like this was not my idea. It was during a ski holiday in Austria, with a snowstorm raging outside making the actual act of trying to ski completely impossible, that I took refuge in a wooden hut with a nice warm fireplace. It turned out that this hut had more than one fireplace, and the cook used one of them to prepare food or more accurately, to braai steak. This is how that steak was served.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
4 sirloin steaks (about 300 g each)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine
2 tots honey
coarse sea salt
1 punnet fresh rocket leaves (80 g)
WHAT TO DO
1. Prepare the steaks: If they were in vacuum packs, remove, wash under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Now put them flat on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to trim the steaks of all excess fat and sinews. You just want the actual pieces of meat. Now taking extreme care, butterfly each steak. That means cut them open exactly as you would do with a hotdog roll, almost all the way without breaking through at the other side. Now open the steaks and press on their ‘spines’ so that they are stretched open on the cutting board. Effectively they should now be double their original size and half their original width. Use your meat mallet and give the steaks a once over. Be firm, but not too aggressive.
2. Make the sauce: In a small pot or pan, mix together the vinegar, wine and honey. Heat and bring to the boil. Now let this mixture boil and reduce until it starts to thicken. Do not leave the sauce unattended as it can burn easily, so you need to keep stirring and checking while it simmers. Remove from the heat when you are happy with the consistency. The more you reduce it, the thicker and more syrupy it will become but the less sauce you will have. Make the call and pull the plug around the halfway mark between starting the reduction and a dry burnt pan. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, try adding more honey next time.
3. Braai the steaks: Just before braaing them, toss some coarse sea salt on the steaks. Now braai over very hot coals for about 6 minutes in total. You only need to turn them once, so go 3 minutes on the ‘insides’ and 3 minutes on the ‘outsides’. Remove from the fire and let them relax and rest a bit. 4. Build the work of art: Pour some sauce on the ‘inside’ of each steak, pile on a generous helping of fresh rocket leaves, and then close them back to their original form. Drizzle with the remaining sauce on top
MIELIEPAP WRAPS
These mieliepap wraps are very easy to make and you can fill them up with anything you feel like straight from the braai. We stuffed them with braaied steak and a coleslaw.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1/2 cup maize meal
- 1.5 cups cake flour
- 1 tot olive
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup warm water
WHAT TO DO
- Mix all the ingredients together with your wooden spoon and make sure all is combined.
- Make a long sausage type roll. Divide the roll into equal parts with a sharp knife.
- Make little balls, prepare a surface with flour and roll out the balls until round and flat like a pancake.
- Heat your pan on the fire, toast the wraps on each side for 10-15 seconds until lightly browned and cooked.
- Braai your steak to your preference and serve the steak topped with coleslaw inside the freshly baked wraps.
MIELIEPAP CHICKEN SCHNITZEL
Here is a great idea to spice up your usual chicken braai, the mieliepap adds a great taste and texture to the chicken.
WHAT TO DO:
- Place the chicken breast fillets on a flat surface and cover with clingfilm. Use a heavy object like a rolling pin, bottle of wine or any heavy object to flatten the fillets and tenderise, so that they are the same all over.
- Drizzle olive oil over the fillets on both sides making sure they are covered all over.
- Season with chicken spice and then dust with maize meal all over to cover the fillets.
- Braai the chicken over medium hot coals for 10 – 15 minutes until cooked on the inside and crispy and golden brown on the outside.
- Mix the Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard and mayonnaise together and serve with your mieliepap schnitzels.
Mielie pap chips
![Mielie pap chips](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Mielie-pap-chips.png)
1 cup maize meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tot butter
Black pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup cheese, grated
WHAT TO DO:
- Stir the maize meal and water together in a pot to mix well. Add the salt and let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes until cooked.
- Add the butter, black pepper, thyme and cheese and mix well into the cooked pap
- Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil and place the cooked pap mixture into the baking sheet. Press it down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon or your recently washed hands, to cover the pan. Leave to set for about 20 -30 minutes.
- Once the pap in the baking sheet has set, tip it over onto a surface and slice into strips.
- Place the pap strips onto your closed hinged grid and braai over warm coals until golden, crispy and brown.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the sauce and serve with the pap chips
lEG Of VENISON IN PORT
Venison goes very well with sweeter ingredients like dried fruit and port. Instead of trying to choose between the two, I like to just add both. This creates a truly legendary dish with a cut of meat that can otherwise be difficult to cook and which can easily end up dry.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 8)
Stage 1:
2 kg leg of venison (bone in – make sure it will fit into your potjie, otherwise ask your butcher to cut it into two pieces)
½ tot ground coriander
1 tot chopped rosemary
5 whole cloves
1 whole cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
1 bottle port
about 10–12 garlic cloves (whole)
Stage 2:
2 tots oil
2 onions (chopped)
1 packet bacon (chopped)
3 carrots (peeled and sliced)
250 g mixed dried fruit (apricots, apples, prunes, etc.)
2 tots lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
WHAT TO DO
Stage 1:
1. Mix the coriander, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, port and garlic in a bowl.
2. Now let the meat and marinade join forces either in a large marinating bowl (plastic, glass or ceramic) or a plastic bag. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and let it marinate in a fridge for 2 days. Turn the meat roughly every 8–12 hours.
Stage 2:
1. Take the meat out of the fridge an hour before you start cooking.
2. While the potjie heats up over your fire, take the meat out of the marinade and quickly ‘flame-grill’ it over very hot flames for about
3 minutes a side to give it a nice colour (don’t throw the marinade away; keep it for later). Take the meat off the fire and keep it out the way of hyenas, dogs, etc. 3. Over a hot fire, heat the oil in the potjie and fry the onions and bacon for a few minutes until the onions are soft and start to brown.
4. Put the browned meat inside the potjie, and then add all the marinade left in your marinating bowl or bag. Heat up till the sauce starts simmering, then cover with the lid and cook over a low fire for 2 hours. It should just be a slow simmer.
5. If prunes are one of the dried fruits you want to add, now is the time to pit them if they don’t come that way in the packet. Otherwise it’s a broken tooth waiting to happen and that’s no fun when you’re camping in the bush.
6. After 2 hours of simmering, add the carrots, dried fruit, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and then simmer for a further 1 hour (covered). Keep the temperature low and steady. Add a bit of water only if the pot looks too dry.
7. By now the meat should be really tender. Lift the meat out of the pot onto a wooden carving board and slice into thick chunks – it should just about fall apart by itself.
8. Put the meat chunks back in the pot and stir them carefully into the sauce. Add more salt if necessary. Serve with mashed potatoes. It will be great – end of story.
AND …
If you want more sauce in your pot after carving the meat into chunks (before adding the meat back into the pot), just add a cup of beef stock to the sauce in the pot and bring it to the boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, then thicken slightly with some dissolved cornflour if necessary (mix half a tot each of cornflour and water, see instructions at the bottm of page 124). Stir and bring to a simmer, then add the meat to the sauce and serve.
MONTAGU CHICKEN POTJIE
This is a fantastic potjie recipe for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it yields a great, rich and exotic meal but equally important is the fact that you can find every single ingredient in almost any supermarket in South African cities, suburbs and the platteland. In Montagu, the picturesque town in the Klein Karoo, you can find all the core ingredients on every streetcorner. There is absolutely no preparation necessary here and once you’ve lit your fire, the food can be served within one and a half hours.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks, preferably without skin)
2 tots olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
fresh ginger, equal in volume to the garlic (grated)
1 tot ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup orange juice
1 cup soft dried prunes (stones removed)
½ cup dried apricots
TO SERVE
2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
2 tots butter
1 tsp salt
2 spring onions (chopped)
1 tot mint (freshly chopped)
1 cup almonds
WHAT TO DO
1. Make a big fire and position your potjie on the flames.
2. Dry-roast the cup of almonds for about 1 minute. Pay lots of attention – they will burn quickly. Remove from the potjie and set aside for much later. At some stage during the party, you need to roughly chop these roasted almonds. 3. It really makes the potjie nicer if you take some or all of the skins off the chicken pieces. This is a simple process: use clean hands and pull the skin off the chicken. Now add the olive oil, chicken pieces and chopped onion to the potjie. 4. Then sprinkle the salt and pepper over the stuff in the potjie, which needs to be on the fire. Use your wooden spoon to toss things around, then fry for a few minutes until the chicken starts to brown and the onions are soft.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon and fry for 1 minute to unlock the flavours of the spices. Rapidly proceed to the next step before the spices burn.
6. Add the stock and orange juice and use the liquid to scrape loose anything from the bottom of the potjie that is trying to get stuck and burn.
7. Also add the prunes and apricots. Toss everything, put the lid on the potjie and let it gently simmer for 45 minutes with some coals or the odd flame under the potjie.
8. During the 45 minutes of cooking the potjie, prepare the couscous. Put the couscous in a bowl and pour the boiling water onto that. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes and then add the butter to it. Now use a fork to flake the couscous and stir in the salt, chopped spring onion, mint and chopped almonds.
9. After 45 minutes, remove the potjie lid and gently stir so as not to break the chicken. Now let the potjie simmer uncovered for a good while until you are happy with the consistency of the sauce. Total cooking time from frying the chicken and onions should not be more than 90 minutes. You want the sauce to thicken but don’t let it completely cook away. You want the thickened sauce to drench the couscous – that’s part of the appeal of the meal.
10. Serve the chicken on a generous bed of couscous.
Mieliepaptert
In a world of uncertainty, I have never been disappointed by mieliepaptert. It’s an almost foolproof dish. You start off by making mieliepap, already a great meal on its own. Then you just add some bells and whistles to make it even better – almost like buying a great new car and then adding all the optional extras. Assembling the mieliepaptert in layers is essentially like making a lasagne, just with entirely different ingredients.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 8)
For the stywepap:
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups maize meal
For the mieliepaptert:
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 packet (200–250 g) smoked streaky bacon (sliced into chunks)
- 400–500 g mushrooms (sliced)
- 1?2 tsp salt (the bacon is already salty)
- 1?2 tsp black pepper
- 1 can creamed sweet corn
- 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (about 200 g)
- 2 cups cream (2 × 250 ml tubs)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
WHAT TO DO
Make the stywepap:
- Add the water and the salt to a pot and get the water boiling over a hot fire (or stove).
- When the water in the pot boils, stir in the maize meal using a wooden spoon. It should take you between 1 and 2 minutes to mix it in properly.
- Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for 25 minutes on very low heat. On a fire, this means removing the pot from the flames and placing it on a few coals.
- You can check on the porridge (or pap) once or twice during this time to make sure it’s simmering (boiling is too hot; standing still is too cold), but don’t lift the lid too often as too much water will then escape in the form of steam. After 25 minutes the porridge will be ready.
- You can now enjoy the porridge as is, but to use it in mieliepaptert you need to take it off the fire and let it cool down in the pot – we’re looking for a solid piece of pap that we can slice.
Make the mieliepaptert:
- Take the cooled stywepap out of the pot in one piece, and cut into 1 cm-thick slices, as you would do with bread.
- Put the pot back on the fire. Add the oil, onion, bacon and mushrooms. Fry for about 10 minutes until the onion turns a golden brown colour. Season with salt and pepper.
- Take the pot o the heat and pour the contents into a bowl. In the empty pot, start layering the paptert with a layer of sliced pap (place a few slices of pap loosely next to each other, but not too tightly). Follow with a layer of onion/bacon/mushrooms, a few spoonfuls of sweet corn and some grated Cheddar. Then another layer of pap, and so on. You should have about 2–3 layers (but this is not an exact science) of each, finishing with some cheese.
- Pour the cream over the top layer (it will sink in), and finish with some thyme leaves.
- Put the lid back on. Put the pot over some coals (not too hot) and also put some hot coals on top of the lid. Cook for 30 minutes until the meal is simmering and the cheese is nice and brown. The cream sauce will thicken on standing, so leave it to rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
BREAKFAST PIZZA
Looks like a pizza, made on a wood fire, more of a frittata and a real breakfast winner! This is not really a pizza and probably closer to an Italian frittata, but the name is catchy and from a distance it looks like a pizza. The quantities here make both shopping and execution of the recipe easy. As you might imagine, when you’ve done it once, this is a recipe you can use as a baseline for your own further experimentation with ingredients.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
- 1 packet (200 g) bacon (chopped)
- 2 bell peppers (any combination of green, yellow or red, seeded and chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 large tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tot chutney
- 6 eggs (beaten)
- 1 tot milk
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- roughly 200 g Cheddar cheese (grated)
- fire-toasted bread or roosterkoek (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- In a pan on the fire, fry the bacon pieces for a few minutes and then add the chopped bell peppers and onion. Fry all of these together on high heat until things start to brown. Add some oil or butter if things look like they might burn before they get to the golden-brown goal.
- Now add the tomatoes and chutney and toss everything around for another few minutes until your mixture is well and truly stir-fried.
- In rapid succession, add all of the eggs and milk, as well as the salt, pepper and oregano to the pan. Mix everything together so the egg mixture can fill the gaps between the rest of the ingredients and form a nice layer on top.
- When things are evened out to your liking, top the eggs with all of the cheese and then close the pan with tight-fitting tinfoil. Let the pan stand over gentle heat for a few minutes until the egg is cooked and the cheese melted.
- Serve with fire-toasted bread or freshly baked roosterkoek.
AND …
The bacon can be swapped or supplemented with finely chopped leftover braai meat. On the cheesy side, the Cheddar cheese can be supplemented or swapped with crumbled feta cheese.
CURRIED SWEET POTATO AND CARROT SOUP
A potjie and a fire do a great job when it comes to cooking soup. This fail-safe recipe results in a soup that works very well as an impressive starter to a three-course braaied meal. The special piece of equipment I have to make this recipe particularly successful is a cordless stick blender. Once all the contents of the potjie are cooked, you use the blender to transform the lumps into a smooth soup right there on the fire. Alternatively, just use a traditional potato masher for a soup with a slightly different texture but equally great taste.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 8)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tot ginger (piece of about 5 cm, freshly grated)
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 tot medium curry powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into blocks)
- 4 large carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)
- 2 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 tot fresh coriander (chopped)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tub sour cream (or crème fraîche)
WHAT TO DO
1. Heat the oil in a potjie on the fire and fry the onion for 4 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute.
2. Add all the spices and fry for about 1 minute until it starts smelling amazing.
3. Now stir in the sweet potato and carrot, making sure everything is mixed well with the spices.
4. Add the stock and water, bring to a gentle boil, and close the lid of the potjie. Simmer for about 45 minutes until everything is cooked and completely soft. You can check up on the potjie now and then just to make sure it’s not running dry but this is very unlikely. As usual, if it does happen, add more water.
5. Once everything is cooked through and soft, remove the lid and use your stick blender or masher to transform the contents of the potjie into a soup of uniform consistency. If the soup is too thick, add some water.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and coriander. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Dish up with a big dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche in each bowl and serve with fresh bread toasted on the fire.
Obatzda Cheese Spread and Roosterkoek
Obatzda is a Bavarian cheese delicacy and best served with freshly baked roosterkoek from the fire.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 block of Brie or Camembert cheese
- 2 tots soft butter
- 1 tub (250 g) plain cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 of an onion very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tots beer
- 1 tot freshly chopped chives
WHAT TO DO:
- Cut off most of the hard edges of the Brie or Camembert cheese and chop into small pieces and mash finely with a fork.
- Add the butter, cream cheese, paprika, chopped onion and cumin and mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper, add the beer and mix again until a smooth mixture.
- Add the fresh chives and serve with freshly baked roosterkoek, or any other fresh baked bread.
RED CURRIED BLACK MUSSELS
Red is usually not a colour we like to associate with black mussels, mostly because when there is red tide in the sea, it means we cannot catch black mussels. Thai red curry, on the other hand, is a flavour that goes well with mussels. This is the type of recipe that will add a lot of value to some lives as you realise that a great-tasting mussel potjie is pretty straightforward to prepare on the fire.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 1 kg half-shelled frozen black mussels
- 1 tot olive oil or butter 2 onions (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (green, red or yellow, seeded and chopped)
- 1 fresh chilli (seeds removed if you prefer, chopped)
- 1 tot red curry paste
- 1 cup white wine
- 400 ml tin coconut cream
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- baguette (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Rinse the mussels under cold, running water.
- Add the oil or butter, onion, garlic, bell pepper, chilli and curry paste to the potjie and sauté until stuff starts to brown.
- Add the white wine and coconut cream, and use your wooden spoon to ensure no bits of sautéed stuff are sticking to the bottom of the potjie.
- Now add the mussels, stir and toss them with the rest of the ingredients and close the lid of the potjie. Keep enough heat under the potjie to let the liquid in the pot boil so that the mussels steam for about 15 minutes until done. Then remove the lid and toss everything once more.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in bowls, scooping mussels, as well as sauce into each bowl. Serve with pieces of fresh baguette to mop up the sauce. The sauce is part of the meal. For bonus points, you can lightly toast the slices of baguette on a grid over coals before serving, as this will allow for extra flavour and improved appearance.
AND …
Not all red curry pastes are created equal. You might have to use more or less to fine-tune the amount of kick in your meal! You can obviously use fresh mussels for this recipe as well, but red curry paste is quite robust in flavour, perhaps even overkill – hence my suggestion is that you save this recipe for those days when the craving for a mussel pot speaks strongly to you, and the only mussels you can find are those half-shelled frozen ones. Once the onion and his friends are browned and you’ve added and stirred in the white wine, you can also opt to use a stick blender to transform everything in the potjie into one smooth sauce before adding the cream and the mussels and proceeding with the rest of the process.
SATAY SAUCE WITH CHICKEN SOSATIES
Technically speaking this peanut-based sauce forms part of Asian cuisine, but I think of it as Dutch. Everyone I know in the Netherlands loves this stuff and if a piece of meat even so much as threatens that it was braaied, they dip it in or smother it with satay sauce. My view is that it goes best with braaied chicken sosaties.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes about 1½ cups of sauce)
- 1 tot vegetable oil
- 1 onion (very finely chopped or even grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped or crushed)
- ½ tsp chilli powder (or 2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped)
- 1 tot brown sugar
- ½ cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
- 1 tot soy sauce
- 1 can coconut milk
MAKE THE SAUCE
- Heat the oil in a small to medium-sized potjie or pan and fry the onion, garlic and chilli until soft.
- Next you add the brown sugar and fry until the sugar starts to caramelise.
- Add the peanut butter and soy sauce, and stir well. Now add the coconut milk and bring to the boil while stirring until it forms a smooth sauce. Reduce the heat by dragging away some of the coals under the potjie and let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes.
- The satay sauce in now ready to be served with braaied chicken sosaties.
HOW TO MAKE AND BRAAI CHICKEN SOSATIES
- Buy deboned chicken thighs or breasts and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Rub the meat with your favourite tailor-made braai salt and then skewer the meat. Cover the sosaties and leave them in your fridge until you braai them.
- Alternatively, just buy chicken sosaties at your favourite butchery or supermarket.
- Chicken sosaties made from thigh meat are juicier than those made from breast meat, so look out for those.
- Chicken sosaties braai in about 10 minutes over medium-hot coals and you can see the meat change in colour as it cooks.
BENCHMARK MAlVA PUDDING IN A POTJIE
Some time in the late 1970s food guru Michael Olivier, who was responsible for the Boschendal Restaurant, asked his friend Maggie Pepler to come and teach them how to make the original malva pudding. Ever since, it’s been a permanent fixture on their buffet menu. My malva pudding recipe is based on that original recipe and is published with Michael’s blessing. The single biggest adjustment from the original recipe is that I bake the pudding in a no. 10 flat-bottomed baking potjie on the fire, and not in a conventional oven.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6)
For the batter:
1 cup flour
½ tot bicarbonate of soda
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tot apricot jam
1 tot vinegar
1 tot melted butter
1 cup milk
For the sauce:
½ cup cream
½ cup milk
1 cup sugar
½ cup hot water
½ cup butter
WHAT TO DO
1. Light the fire. You need fewer coals than when braaing steak, but you’ll need a steady supply of coals once the pudding is baking. Now use butter to grease your no. 10 flatbottomed baking potjie. You can see a picture of this kind of potjie on page13.
2. Sift the flour and the bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and stir in the sugar (you don’t need to sift the sugar).
3. In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg very well. Now add the jam, vinegar, butter and milk, whisking well after adding each ingredient.
4. Add the wet ingredients of step 3 to the dry ingredients of step 2 and mix well.
5. Pour the batter into the potjie, put on the lid and bake for 50 minutes by placing some coals underneath the potjie and some coals on top of the lid. Don’t add too much heat, as burning is a big danger. There is no particular risk in having too little heat and taking up to 1 hour to get the baking done, so rather go too slow than too fast. During this time, you can add a few fresh hot coals to the bottom and top of the potjie whenever you feel the pudding is losing steam.
6. When the pudding has been baking for about 40 minutes (about 10 minutes before it’s done), heat all the sauce ingredients in a small potjie over medium coals. Keep stirring to ensure that the butter is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved, but don’t let it boil. If you want a (slightly) less sweet pudding, use half a cup of sugar and a full cup of hot water for the sauce, instead of the other way round as per the ingredients list.
7. After about 50 minutes of baking, insert a skewer into the middle of the pudding to test whether it’s done. If the skewer comes out clean, it’s ready.
8. Take the pudding off the fire and pour the sauce evenly over it. Believe me, it will absorb all the sauce – you just need to leave it standing for a few minutes. Serve the malva pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, a dollop of fresh cream or a puddle of vanilla custard. A good way to keep it hot is to put it near the fire, but not too close – after doing everything right, we don’t want it to burn now.
AND …
In the original recipe, the tot measures of apricot jam, butter and vinegar as well as the half tot of
bicarbonate of soda are all given as 1 tablespoon each. These minor changes won’t affect the outcome of the dessert but for the sake of accurately recording history, I think it’s important that we note it.
THE BRAAI CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Chicken tikka masala is one of the most famous meals to come from a tandoori oven, which is a cylindrical clay oven heated by a fire, almost like a braai. Tikka means ‘pieces’ but chicken tikka refers to a specific meal of chicken pieces marinated in a masala spice and yoghurt, skewered and cooked in a tandoori (or, in this case, braaied). Chicken tikka masala is one of my all-time favourite curries – and sure to be one of your’s once you’ve nailed this recipe.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
The chicken:
- 600 g deboned, skinless chicken meat (a pack of 4 chicken breasts)
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 2 tots chicken tikka masala spice (or tandoori masala or any good masala mix that is red in colour that you can find at your local spice market)
- 1 tot lemon juice
- about 6 skewers
The sauce:
- 1 tot garlic
- 1 tot ginger
- oil or butter
- 400 g can tomato purée (or chopped tomatoes)
- 2–3 tots tomato paste
- 1 cup cream
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1 tsp garam masala (This tastes different from and is slightly hotter than normal masala as it contains different ingredients and ratios of ingredients. You need to trust me that this is the masala you need for the dish so go find it at a spice market.)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional, can be less or more)
- 2 tots ground almonds
- salt
- honey
- 2 tots chopped coriander leaves (dhania)
WHAT TO DO
- Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks and mix in a marinating bowl with the yoghurt, masala spice and lemon juice. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for a few hours or overnight.
- Skewer the chicken pieces (make sosaties) and braai over hot coals until done. Don’t worry about the odd black spot of caramelised chicken appearing.
- In a cast-iron pot or fireproof pan lightly fry the garlic and ginger in a bit of oil or butter. If there is any leftover marinade, also add this.
- After 2 minutes add all the other ingredients except for the salt, honey and coriander leaves. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. While it is simmering, look at the sauce and taste it. If you want to, make the following adjustments:
- Add salt if it needs more.
- Make the sauce hotter by adding more chilli powder and/or sweeter by adding honey.
- To make the colour of the sauce redder add extra paprika or to make it more yellow or orange add extra turmeric.
- When the sauce is to your liking, starts to thicken, and the chicken is braaied, remove the skewers and add the sauce to the chicken pieces. Stir in the dhania or coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice.
AND
If you reckon you can multitask then you can obviously braai the chicken and cook the sauce concurrently.
STEAK AU POIVRE
In the recent past France has taken a lot of our best rugby players who play for the French teams on French fields. Here we are simply returning the favour by taking their favourite way of preparing steak and using the recipe in a braai way, around the braai fire! To braai steaks medium rare over very hot coals should take you about 8 minutes and to make this sauce should also take you about the same time, so if you have a big enough fire with flames and coals, the two acts can be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, make the sauce, keep it warm and then braai the steaks. I know the name of this recipe is unpronounceably difficult so you are welcome to just call it a ‘French-style pepper steak’.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 4 sirloin or porterhouse steaks (off the bone, about 350 g each)
- 2 tots black peppercorns (or rainbow peppercorns)
- coarse sea salt (in a grinder)
- 2 tots butter
- ½ cup brandy
- 1 onion (grated or very finely chopped)
- ½ cup beef stock (or any other stock or water)
- 2 tots Dijon mustard
- ½ cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
- fresh parsley or chives (finely chopped, to serve)
WHAT TO DO
BRAAI THE STEAKS
- Make a proper big fire.
- Crush all the peppercorns by placing them on a cutting board and using a bottle of wine to roll over and press them a few times.
- Take the steaks out of their packaging, wash them under cold running water, pat them dry with kitchen towel and use a sharp knife to trim away all excess sinew and fat.
- Just before the braai, grind salt onto both sides of each steak. Aim to get salt on the edges of the steaks instead of the centres. This way you will still hit the centres, but the sides will be properly salted as well.
- Now spread the crushed pepper out on the cutting board and press both sides of each steak into the pepper. If you run out of pepper before you’re done with all the steaks don’t panic, simply crush additional pepper.
- Braai the steaks over very hot coals for about 4 minutes on each side until medium rare. When the steaks are ready remove from the fire.
MAKE THE SAUCE
- Prepare the sauce by starting to melt the butter in a pan over flames.
- Now for the step that has an element of actual danger so be a bit prudent here and get kids to stand well back. Add the brandy to the pan. If it does not spontaneously catch fire from the fire, set it alight. Half a cup of brandy does not explode in the way petrol explodes, but for a few seconds there will be quite a bit of flame so keep your eyebrows out of the way and make sure you have space to retreat and stand back once you have set it alight. Let the alcohol burn off, and as soon as the flames die down, proceed to the next step.
- Add the onion to the pan and sauté for a minute or three until it starts to change colour. Now stir in the beef stock, mustard and crème fraîche.
- Taste the sauce and add a bit of salt if you feel so inclined but remember that there is also salt on the steaks.
SERVE
Let the steaks rest for a few minutes and then carve all of them into slices using your favourite, biggest and sharpest knife. Put all the meat and sauce on a platter, sprinkle with fresh parsley or chives, and place this awesome feast on the table with pride.
Monkeygland Boerewors Rolls
The world has a few famous sauces to serve with braaied meat and monkeygland sauce is one of them. What makes monkeygland sauce special is that it’s a South African invention. As is boerewors. For special-occasion boerewors rolls, I suggest you skip the normal options of chutney or tomato sauce and go for a home-made monkeygland sauce. You will not look back and neither will your guests.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
- about 1.2 kg high-quality boerewors
- 6 hotdog rolls
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tot butter
- 1 tot olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup chutney
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tot brown sugar
- 1 tot vinegar
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- water (have some on standby in case your potjie runs dry)
WHAT TO DO
- In a fireproof pot or pan on the fire, fry the onion in the butter and oil for a few minutes until you like the look of it.
- Add all the other ingredients for the sauce, except for the water, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring fairly often to make sure it doesn’t burn. If the pot runs dry and the sauce is too thick for your liking or starts to burn, add a little bit of water.
- After 15 minutes of simmering, the sauce is ready to serve. You can now keep it warm or on a very gentle simmer until the boerewors is braaied and ready.
- Now it’s time to braai the wors. The aim is to break or pierce it as little as you can and have as juicy an end-product as possible.
- Do not pre-cut the wors as its juices will get lost. Keep it long and coil it, or position it on the grid running back and forth like people in an airport queue.
- The easiest method is to braai the boerewors in a hinged grid so that it can be turned without breaking. Failing that, coil it and, while it is on a flat surface, press two skewers all the way through the wors at a 90° angle to each other, effectively putting the boerewors in a little skewer cross. In this way, you can braai and turn the boerewors easily on an open grid without it breaking apart and losing juices.
- Boerewors can be braaied on any type of heat – the braai times will just differ. I prefer fairly hot coals so the skin is crisp and snaps under your teeth while the insides are still nice and juicy. Depending on heat and wors thickness, braai time should be somewhere around 8 minutes, and you should turn it between one and five times. On pathetic third-round coals (when you are last in line at the bring-and-braai), braai time can be 20 minutes and the boerewors will still taste fine, but this should be the exception and not the norm.
- Do not ‘pop’ the wors and let those bubbles of juice escape. If you feel that your boerewors is too fatty, then buy better boerewors in future. At the time of writing this post, the best boerewors on the market is Jan Braai Boerewors!
- Do not overbraai it – 71 °C is perfect. If you braai it too long, it will become dry and you will kill some of the flavour. I have never been served boerewors that I thought would have benefited from being braaied longer. More often than not, people overbraai boerewors.
- When the boerewors is ready, the skin will be brown in most parts and grey in some.
- Place a piece or two of boerewors in each hotdog roll and top with a few spoons of monkeygland sauce.
Namibian Chimichurri Steak
During a braai excursion to our neighbouring country, Namibia, we spent a night at Op My Stoep Lodge in Oranjemund. The owner, Fanie is originally from Argentina and gave me his chimichurri sauce recipe after my very nice meal. According to him, this sauce gets better with a day or two in the fridge for the flavours to marry properly, and this is true. But truth be told, I have never waited that long.
WHAT YOU NEED
(feeds 4)
rump steak for 4 people
salt and pepper
FOR THE SAUCE
4 long red chillies (deseeded and chopped)
4 long green chillies (deseeded and chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
½ tot dried oregano
½ tot course salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tot white wine vinegar
2 tots olive oil
½ cup flat leaf parsley
WHAT TO DO
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together and place in a food processor or blender. Blend until everything is smooth and has a good, even consistency. In theory, you should put the sauce in a closed container and let it rest in a fridge for at least 2 days. In reality, you might consume it on the same day.
- Light a massive wood fire and season the rump steak with salt and pepper on both sides just before the braai.
- Braai over very hot coals for about 8 minutes in total until medium rare.
- Let the steak rest for a few minutes then cut into strips, hitting the steak with the knife blade at a 45° angle.
- \Drizzle the chimichurri sauce over the steak strips and serve.
Biltong-crusted Fillet Steak with Burnt Butter Sauce
This biltong-crusted steak recipe is from Willie, a professional chef who was kind enough to share one of his top trade secrets with me. The only unconventional ingredient for this recipe is what I call ‘biltong powder’. Many butcheries and supermarkets sell it but if you cannot find it, simply make your own using dry biltong and a blender.
WHAT YOU NEED
(feeds 4)
1 kg beef fillet
½ cup Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 cup biltong powder
2 tots olive oil
mix of vegetables for 4 people (stuff like carrots, onions, baby marrow, mushrooms and bell peppers)
½ cup butter
clingwrap
WHAT TO DO
- Spread Dijon mustard all over the fillet steak. Use your recently washed hands or a knife or spoon to do this.
- Now season the steak with salt and pepper.
- If you couldn’t find biltong powder and your biltong is still intact, chop it and then use a blender to process it into a fine form.
- Throw all of the powdered biltong onto the steak. Roll and toss and press until the mustard-coated outer surface of the fillet steak is completely encrusted in biltong.
- Now roll the steak tightly into clingwrap and put it in a fridge.
- When you are ready to braai a few hours or a day later, unwrap the steak and cut it into four equally sized portions.
- Put your fireproof pan or wok onto the fire and add the olive oil and all of the vegetables to it. Stir-fry the vegetables until charred but still crisp.
- Also braai the steak medallions on a grid over very hot coals for about 8–10 minutes, making sure all four sides of each steak face the coals to get some colour.
- Plate the steak and the vegetables and now add half a cup of butter to the pan you used to fry the vegetables. Make sure there is intense heat under the pan so the butter melts and starts to bubble. As soon as the butter starts to brown, remove the pan from the fire and drizzle the steaks and the vegetables with the burnt butter.
Marmite and Cheese Steak
With some combinations in life, you can never go wrong. Chalk and cheese is not a good example – they don’t fit together at all. Marmite and cheese, on the other hand, work very well together. A classic combination for a sandwich. Another food group that fits both Marmite and cheese is of course mushrooms. And all three of these schoolground playmates, Marmite, mushroom and cheese, go very well with steak. So, we have ourselves a winner! My prediction is that this recipe will be one of the most made and most popular in this book. And eating it will make you a happier and, consequently, better person.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 4 sirloin steaks
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 1 punnet (250 g) mushrooms (sliced)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tot Marmite
- 200 g cheese (something like Cheddar, grated)
WHAT TO DO
Place the of olive oil and onion in your fireproof pan on the fire and fry the onion until soft and translucent.
Add the mushrooms and fry until soft. Once the mushrooms are soft and cooked, add the wine and Marmite. Stir well and now let it simmer while you braai.
Braai the steaks over hot coals for 4 minutes each side until medium rare. Remove from the fire and let the steaks rest for a few minutes while you finish the sauce.
Increase the heat under the pan. Add the cheese to the sauce and stir continuously so the ingredients can mix. Continue this until all the cheese has melted.
Serve the sauce immediately, hot off the fire, from the pan onto the steak.
Bushveld Steak Rösti
The whole is more than the sum of its parts. This is not only true for the ingredients of this recipe, but also the role players in its creation: Ivor, Bernice, Ansu and Edrich. Although the end result of this recipe is very impressive, both visually and taste-wise, when you break it down to individual steps, every step is actually pretty straightforward. This recipe is as magnificent as a sunrise in the bushveld and equally photogenic. Braai it early in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee brewed on the fire before facing another tough day in Africa.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
1 rump steak (about 800 g)
1 onion (peeled)
4 potatoes
salt and pepper
1 tot olive oil
1 tot butter
200 g baby spinach
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
WHAT TO DO
- Light a big fire and start preparing the röstis. Grate the onion and potatoes with the coarse side of your grater and toss them into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and pepper and mix well.
- Use your recently washed hands to form the rösti mixture into four equally sized ‘patties’.
- In a flat-bottomed cast-iron pot or flameproof pan over a medium-hot fire, heat the oil and butter together. Then put the rösti’s into the pan, using a spatula to flatten each rösti by putting some pressure on it. Each rösti should be about 1–2 cm thick. Fry until golden brown on one side, then flip and fry until golden brown on the other side. This should take about 4 minutes a side over medium-hot heat but naturally, this time may vary. Your cue is a golden brown colour. You only need to turn them once as turning them often increases the risk of them falling apart. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
- Season the steak with salt and pepper and then braai the steak over very hot coals for about 8 minutes in total until medium rare. Once the steak is done, let it rest for a few minutes before you carve it into thin slices.
- While the steak is resting, place the spinach in the pan. We’re looking to wilt the spinach. Do not overcook the spinach – stir-fry and then remove from the heat and pan as soon as the leaves start to wilt.
- Heat oil in your pan again and fry the eggs until they are cooked to your liking. I suggest you go sunny side up with this recipe.
- Build your bushveld rösti by starting with the rösti, then topping it with spinach, the steak slices, and finally the egg.
Mustard Ice Cream and T-Bone Steak
In life, ice cream always make things better. In the case of mustard-flavoured ice cream, it even improves braaied steak! This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, it sounds cool and it looks amazing in photos. But then there are also the fundamental reasons: the core ingredients of mustard ice cream all go well with steak; namely, eggs, cream and mustard. We’ve all had those with steak hundreds of times – here they’re just converted into ice cream format.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
4 T-bone steaks
salt and pepper
FOR THE ICE CREAM
4 egg yolks
½ cup white sugar
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 vanilla pods
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs wholegrain mustard
1 tsp salt
digital instant-read food thermometer
ice cream machine
WHAT TO DO
- If still in its natural state inside the eggshells, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. For this recipe, we only need the yolks.
- Now mix the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth.
- Mix the cream, milk and vanilla together in a pot and heat over medium heat. You want this mixture to be warm but don’t let it boil.
- Now add a little bit of the warm cream and milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture and mix well. Add more of the warm mixture, bit by bit, not all at once, stirring all the time. If you add all of the warm milk and cream mixture to the egg mixture at the same time, the eggs will cook and you don’t want that.
- Once all the milk and cream is added to the eggs and sugar, and everything is mixed thoroughly, place the entire mixture back into the pot again and heat over medium heat while stirring all the time until the mixture reaches a point of 80 °C. Use a digital instant-read food thermometer to get this part right.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mustard and the salt. Mix well and now let the pot stand somewhere safe until it cools down to room temperature.
- Once at room temperature, place the mixture in a fridge until it is as cold as everything else in your fridge.
- Once the mixture is completely cooled down in your fridge, pour it into your ice cream machine and let it churn for 1 hour until it’s frozen and become ice cream.
- Spice the steaks with salt and pepper and braai them over very hot coals for 8 minutes in total.
- Serve each steak warm from the fire with a ball of mustard ice cream on top.
Coffee-Spiced Steak
When exposed to the searing heat of a braai fire, ground coffee beans develop a flavour that complements braaied steak really well. Curiously, it actually makes a beef steak taste even more like a beef steak. The ingredients list of the spice mix in this recipe also contains sugar, which helps the spice mix as a whole to caramelise properly. The downside is that sugar burns quite easily on the fire when it is exposed for too long to the high-heat coals you want to braai steak on. You want the sugar to just caramelise and not to over-caramelise, which is a diplomatic phrase for burn! Therefore, braai the steaks until almost done, take them off the fire and toss with the spice mix and then it’s back to the fire for just a few final minutes to finish it off.
WHAT YOU NEED
(feeds 6)
6 sirloin steaks
olive oil or melted butter (for dressing)
FOR THE SPICE MIX
1 tot good-quality ground coffee
1 tot dark-brown sugar
½ tot salt
½ tot ground pepper
½ tot paprika
½ tot ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp dried oregano
WHAT TO DO
- Light a massive wood fire.
- Now mix all the spice ingredients together. That means everything in the ingredients list of this recipe, except the steak and the olive oil.
- Keep the spice mix on the side. This rub will go onto the meat just before the steaks are finished braaing – not yet.
- Braai the steaks over hot coals for 5 minutes in total, turning only once. Remove from the braai and generously spice the steaks all over with the spice mix. You can use your clean hands or a spoon to pat and rub the spice into and onto the steaks.
- Return the steaks to the fire and braai for no more than 4 minutes, 2 minutes per side until the spices and specifically the sugar start to caramelise.
- Remove the steaks from the fire and drizzle with melted butter or olive oil. This gives it a nice shine and adds flavour.
- Let the steaks rest for a few minutes. Then carve them into thin strips and serve to your guests.
MASSAMAN BEEF CURRY POTJIE
The massaman flavour combination has been around for centuries and has truly stood the test of time. It’s traditionally and best made in a potjie on the fire, and it’s made with beef, as opposed to chicken, lamb or pork. Think of it as a combination of a Thai and Indian style of curry. Characteristically you first make the massaman paste, then fry that in coconut cream, and then you add the meat and potatoes. This is the most complex curry potjie recipe in this book but well worth the effort. The results are quite phenomenal. I like to use a cut like chuck steak for this meal as it has a lot of flavour, can stand up to cooking for a while, and the intramuscular fat means the meat does not dry out too much. For me a cut like rump becomes too dry and something like oxtail takes prohibitively long to become tender.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 1 punnet fresh coriander (30 g)
- ½ cup salted cashew nuts
- 4 cardamom pods (whole)
- 4 cloves (whole)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled)
- ginger, equal in volume to garlic (peeled and sliced)
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tin coconut cream
- 1 kg chuck steak meat (deboned and cut into cubes)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 lime (juice and zest)
- 1 tot brown sugar
- 2–3 medium potatoes (500 g, cut into wedges for looks not taste)
- 2 red onions (cut into wedges for looks not taste)
WHAT TO DO
1. Wash the coriander and, without thinking about it too much or being too exact, cut it in half with a single stroke of a knife. Keep one half separate for later and finely chop the other half.
2. Put your potjie over the flames and dry-roast the cashew nuts for a minute or two. Nuts burn easily so focus solely on this task when performing it. Remove and set aside for later reintroduction to the meal.
3. In the now empty potjie, dry-roast the cardamom pods, cloves, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Again, don’t multitask. Remove from the potjie. From a practical point of view, you might need to use your leather welding or braai gloves to tip the potjie and scrape the spices out as they are too small to simply get out with your wooden spoon.
4. Crush open and peel the cardamom pods from step 3. Discard the shells and add the insides of the cardamom pods and the rest of the dryroasted spices to your pestle and mortar or food processor. Start working them over, also adding the nutmeg, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic, ginger, salt, oil and the chopped coriander from step 1. Continue grinding away until you have a thickish paste. Give yourself a pat on the back – you have now made your very own ‘massaman curry potjie paste’ (MCPP).
5. Please note that you can perform steps 1 to 4 even a day ahead of time, should you wish.
6. Get the potjie back on the flames and add about 2 tots coconut cream (not an exact science) to the potjie. Now fry the MCPP from step 4 in it for a minute or three.
7. Add all of the beef cubes and toss around, stir-frying for a few minutes to get bits of them seared. Don’t overthink this step; get some searing done and move on to the next step. We’re looking at roughly 5 minutes.
8. Now add the rest of the coconut cream and the chicken stock and stir well. Use the juices to loosen anything that might be stuck to the bottom of the potjie.
9. At this point add the bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Bring the potjie to a gentle simmer and put the lid on. Leave it to simmer very gently for 1 hour. You want a few coals under the potjie and a few coals on the lid as well. 10. Lift the potjie lid, stir in the roasted cashew nuts from step 2, the fish sauce, lime juice and zest, and sugar. Also add the potatoes and onion and close the lid. Simmer until the potato wedges are soft, which will take about 20 minutes.
11. Remove the lid and now let the potjie simmer uncovered until you are happy with the consistency of the sauce.
12. Serve with basmati rice, naan bread, tomato&onion salad and yogurt with cucumber
SMOG BURGER
Pizza fans will appreciate that this burger is quite clearly inspired by the SMOG pizza; Salami, Mushroom, Onion and Green Pepper. It’s a globally popular flavour combination for wood-fired pizzas and here we’re adapting it for the South African braai fire. Combine the four with some braaied chicken breasts and fresh fire-toasted rolls and you have yourself a winner!
WHAT YOU NEED: (feeds 4)
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- 4 hamburger rolls
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 tot butter
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 2 green peppers (sliced)
- 1 punnet mushrooms (250g, sliced)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- salt and pepper (freshly ground)
- 8–12 slices of your favourite salami
- 1 cup cheese (aged Cheddar, sliced or grated
- Make the sauce by heating the oil and butter in a potjie or fireproof pan, then add the onion and green pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until it starts to get a nice colour and then add the mushrooms and garlic. Now toss and fry the whole lot until you like the look of it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place each chicken breast fillet flat on a chopping board and lightly pound the thick side with a meat mallet, wine bottle, rolling pin, side of a meat cleaver or any other item of sufficient weight and size. You want the whole fillet to be uniform in thickness and this step will make the meat easier to braai, better looking on your burger and softer to bite. Season each chicken fillet with salt and pepper or your favourite braai salt. Either brush each one with oil or simply pour a bit of oil into a bowl and toss the fillets around in it until all are coated. Braai the meat for about 8 minutes over hot coals until it is done. The nice thing about chicken breast fillets is that you can actually see the meat colour changing from raw to ready on the braai.
- Cut the rolls in half and toast on the braai, watching them carefully so they don’t burn.
- Assemble the burger in this order: Toasted roll, slices of salami, braaied chicken fillets, cheese topped with a generous helping of the onion, peppers and mushroom sauce. Positioning the cheese between the warm chicken breast and sauce will cause it to melt, which is exactly what we want.
- Place the lid on the burger and eat with both of your recently washed hands.
CURRY MINCE JAFFLES
This is a great recipe to prepare a day before when you are going on a road trip. Remember to pack your jaffle maker, extra fire wood and your tongs on top so you have easy access to it, to stop next to the road at a picnic area and braai your jaffles.
WHAT YOU NEED: (makes 6 jaffles)
- Olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tot ground coriander
- 1 tot ground cumin
- 2 tots medium curry powder
- 1 tot turmeric
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tot tomato paste
- 1 bread (you will need 12 slices)
- butter to spread on the bread slices
WHAT TO DO:
- Use your potjie, place it on the fire, add the olive oil and onions to the pot and fry for a few minutes. Add the beef mince and garlic, season with salt and pepper and fry until cooked and golden brown.
- Add the coriander, cumin, curry powder, and turmeric and fry for a few minutes to release all the flavours.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and let the potjie simmer for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off and you are happy with the consistency.
- Remove the potjie from the heat and let it cool down before you pack it into your travelling dish. Keep it in the fridge until you hit the road.
- Light your fire and while you wait for the coals to be ready, spread the slices of bread with butter on the outside and fill with the curry mince mixture. Cover with another slice of buttered bread, place the mince sandwich into you jaffle maker and place the jaffle maker directly onto the coals for optimum heat.
- Toast the bread on both sides for about 8 – 10 minutes, checking in between your progress to make sure the bread does not burn, but gets a nice toasted colour and serve as is.
AND…
You can add grated cheddar cheese to the jaffles for extra points.
REVOLUTION CHICKEN
During a day-long braai session with members of the Swartland Revolution, I was introduced to this style of chicken wing eating. Although their cause is actually about wine, you will agree that this is a revolutionary way of preparing and eating chicken wings. Some caution though: this is a hot and spicy meal. We make the chicken super spicy and serve it with a sauce that both complements and cools down that spiciness. So the spice and the sauce are both essential to the meal; you can’t have one without the other. If you don’t like a bit of burn, rather leave out the cayenne pepper.
- 36 chicken wings
FOR THE SAUCE - 2 cups buttermilk (1 bottle)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tots chives (freshly chopped)
- 1 tot Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tot dry garlic powder
- 1 tot paprika
- 1 tot mustard powder
- 1 tot cumin
- 1 tot salt
- 1 tot dried thyme
- 1 tot brown sugar
- ½ tot cinnamon
- ½ tot ground black pepper
- ½ tot chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- Shake the bottle of buttermilk before opening. Pour it into a bowl and throw in all the other sauce ingredients. Mix well, cover the bowl and put it in your fridge.
- Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a glass jar and shake well.
- Braai the chicken wings for about 20 minutes over medium-hot coals, turning often until cooked through. Do not add any spice or sauce to the chicken wings before the braai. Just braai them as is. The spice mixture of this meal turns brown and looks burnt very quickly so we can’t have it on the chicken the whole time it is braaing otherwise it will burn way before the chicken is cooked.
- Take the chicken off the grid and place in a braai bowl. Dust the chicken wings generously with half the spice mixture, making sure everything is properly covered. Please note, you need to use only half of the spice mixture to accomplish this so keep the other half of the mix for next time Use a wooden spoon to toss the wings around and make sure there is spice in all the corners and crevices of all the chicken wings.
- Once done, get the wings back onto the grid and braai them for a few more minutes until the spice gets a nice colour on both sides. Although the spices will not actually burn, be vigilant as they will very easily get the appearance of having been burnt. Don’t overbraai: remember, the meat is already cooked through; we just want to toast the spices at this point. As soon as the spices are all toasted and looking good on the chicken, proceed to the next step.
- Move the chicken wings from the grid onto a platter and artfully pour some of the dressing over them. You might prefer to also have extra sauce on the side so that guests may help themselves to some addition
LAMB SHANK CURRY POTJIE
When you find yourself travelling through the Karoo, make sure to stock up on the local Karoo lamb meat. Lamb shanks need time on the fire, the longer you leave the shanks on the fire to simmer over low coals, the more tender the meat will be and all the flavours can develop intensely. Remember this is not a race, it is a journey.
WHAT YOU NEED: (serves 4)
- 4 Karoo lamb shanks
- olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tots curry powder
- 1 tot fresh ginger, grated or ginger powder
- 1 tot ground turmeric
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 stick whole cinnamon
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- water
- 1 tot tomato paste
WHAT TO DO:
- Braai the lamb shanks in the potjie with olive oil over the flames of your fire for a minute or three to burn away some of the fat and brown the meat.
- Add a bit more oil to the potjie and sauté the onion for a few minutes and season the shanks with salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic, sauté for another couple of minutes and then add the curry powder, ginger, turmeric, cloves and whole cinnamon. Toss these around for about a minute to release their flavours.
- Add the tin of tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot. Use the empty tin, fill it with water and add to the pot.
- Put the lid on the potjie. Now you want the lamb shanks to cook very gently like this for 2 – 3 hours. You want some coals under the potjie and you also want some coals on the lid of the potjie. This is not a race, it’s a journey.
- Every so often you can lift the lid, taking care not to get any coals or ash from the lid into the potjie, and check on progress. There should be a gentle bubble and the potjie must not run dry. If it’s not making any noise it’s either dry and you need to add a bit more water, if there is no sound, it’s simply not cooking at all and you need to add more coals under the pot and onto the lid.
- After 3 hours, check that the meat will come loose from the bone when encouraged to do so by a utensil. If this is the case, the potjie is ready. If not, let it carry on simmering for a while.
- At this stage you want to have built a big fire with good flames, called an atmosfire, around which you and your guests will enjoy the meal.
- Serve the lamb shanks with rice. If the sauce is too runny and watery, put the potjie without the shanks back onto the flames of the atmosfire without the lid and let it reduce and thicken for a few minutes while all your guests fill their wine glasses, switch off their phones and prepare for the meal. Now finish off each meal by topping the lamb shank with some sauce from the pot, and garnish with chopped fresh herbs.
BOLOGNESE
My family started making spaghetti bolognese on the fire during camping trips in Botswana and Namibia when I was a teenager. As much as I like braaied steak and boerewors, you can’t eat that every day. The secret to a great bolognese sauce is to simmer it over low coals for a few hours. The problem with cooking something that smells this good for 3 hours when camping in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is that a pride of lions might smell it as well and pay your camp a visit, as happened to us one evening. We ate in the car that night.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4–6)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (grated)
- 1 celery stick (finely chopped)
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 200–250 g smoked streaky bacon (diced)
- ½ tot mixed dried herbs (or 1 tot finely chopped fresh herbs like basil, thyme and parsley)
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tots tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tot lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- To serve: 500 g pasta like tagliatelle or spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese (grated or shaved)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat oil in a potjie over a medium-hot fire. Add the onion, carrot and celery and gently fry for 5–10 minutes until the onions are soft and shiny but not brown.
- Add the mince, bacon and herbs to the pot and fry for 10 minutes until the meat starts to brown. Stir often and break up any lumps in the mince. You want the bottom of the pot to become slightly brown and sticky here and there, as this adds flavour to the meal, but you don’t want it to actually burn.
- Pour in the wine and stir well. Use your spoon to scrape and loosen any bits of meat or other matter stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine is almost completely reduced.
- Now add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer over low heat. Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 20–30 minutes to ensure that the sauce doesn’t cook dry and burn. You need very low and gentle heat, exactly the opposite of braaing steak. (If the pot runs dry, add a bit of water.)
- After 2 hours, take off the lid and simmer uncovered for another 20-odd minutes. While you enjoy the aroma, keep a close eye on the pot – you want the sauce to reduce and thicken but not burn. During this time, cook the pasta in salted water in a separate pot.
- When you’re happy with the bolognese sauce, serve the sauce with the pasta and a handful of grated Parmesan.
SEARED TUNA WITH SESAME SEEDS
As with any fish you want to braai, the most important thing is to make sure the tuna is fresh. The only way to do that is to buy it from a trusted, reputable fishmonger who can tell you exactly where he or she got the tuna from, and when it was caught. If you’re unsure about the freshness of the tuna, don’t buy it. Needless to say, the other sure-fire way to get fresh tuna is to catch it yourself.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4)
- 4 tuna steaks of about 200 g each (very fresh or ‘sashimi grade’)
- 1 tot vegetable oil
- salt and black pepper about
- ½ cup sesame seeds (bonus points for a mixture of black and white if you can find it)
- ½ cup good-quality soy sauce
- 1 tot ginger (grated or crushed)
- 1 spring onion (finely sliced)
- ½ tot sugar
- ½ tot white vinegar
WHAT TO DO:
- Lie the tuna steaks in a dish, then brush them lightly with oil, and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Leave them in a cool place but out of the fridge for 10 minutes so they reach room temperature. Don’t leave them too long before cooking, as fish can go off quickly.
- Put the sesame seeds in another dish or on a plate and then dip the steaks on all sides into the sesame seeds to coat them evenly.
- Carefully (so that the sesame seeds don’t fall off) put the tuna steaks in a clean hinged grid, then braai them over very hot coals for about 1 minute each on both sides. If you’re wondering whether your coals are hot enough, then they aren’t! Take the steaks off the fire and put them on a wooden board to cool for 5–10 minutes before you slice them.
- While the tuna is resting, mix the soy sauce, ginger, spring onion, sugar and vinegar together in a bowl or jug, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Use a very sharp knife and cut the tuna steaks into slices. If you don’t have a very sharp knife, buy a new knife, use a knife sharpener, or both. As you will notice from the photo, the fish is still raw in the middle. This is supposed to be the case with seared tuna. After all, that same piece of fish could be served as completely raw sashimi in a restaurant.
- Drizzle the sauce over the fish, or serve the sauce in small dipping bowls on each plate.
AND …
Only braai sustainably sourced fish – so stay away from anything on the SASSI red list.
PORK SCHNITZEL
The great thing about the braai is that you can make any food on the fire. This schnitzel recipe is based on the original from Germany where it was made on a stove but as always, everything is better around a fire!
WHAT YOU NEED: (feeds 4)
- 4 pork loin steaks of about 1 cm thick
- 1 egg beaten
- 250 ml breadcrumbs, fresh or toasted
- 250 ml flour
- Salt and pepper
- Combination of olive oil and butter for frying
- Mustard and fresh lemon slices for serving
WHAT TO DO:
- Place the pork steaks on a flat surface, get a rolling pin, wine bottle or anything with enough weight. Use cling wrap and place a layer on top of the meat to protect them and keep them intact while you hit them with your rolling pin, flattening the steaks and making them even all over.
- Now construct your work station. Season the flour with salt and pepper and place in a flat bowl. Place the beaten egg in another bowl and the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Start to coat your steaks by first rolling them around in the seasoned flour, then dip them in the egg and lastly cover the steaks with breadcrumbs making sure everything is covered.
- Heat a combination of oil and butter in your pan and fry the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes turning often making sure it does not burn. The steaks are thin hence they will be done very quickly.
- Remove from the heat and serve this work of art dish with mustard, fresh lemons and a side dish of potato salad.
CHICKEN CAESAR BURGER
For many years, the Caesar has been one of the world’s classic salads. But as a chicken burger on the braai, we are giving this flavour combination the chance to reach its full potential. First, a braaied chicken breast fillet is superior to any other version of that meat, and secondly, a roll toasted on the coals of a wood fire is clearly going to trump any crouton prepared in a kitchen. The sauce is very easy to make but to do it properly you need a pestle and mortar. If you still don’t have this piece of essential culinary equipment, buy it now. You will use it to work the garlic, capers and anchovy fillets into a smooth paste which forms the cornerstone of flavours for the sauce.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- 4 crisp hamburger rolls
- 3 tots olive oil (for coating the chicken and spreading on the rolls)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 tsp capers (drained)
- ½ cup mayonnaise (I prefer French-style)
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce (also known as cos lettuce – torn apart and washed; if you can’t find one, use normal lettuce)
- 3 tots Parmesan cheese (grated or shaved)
WHAT TO DO:
- Make the sauce: Put the garlic, anchovies and capers in your pestle and mortar and grind into a smooth paste. Now add the mayonnaise, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well until everything is properly combined.
- Prepare and braai the chicken breast fillets: Place each chicken breast fillet flat on a chopping board and lightly pound the thick side with a meat mallet, wine bottle, rolling pin, side of a meat cleaver or any other item of sufficient weight and size. You want the whole fillet more uniform in thickness and this step will make the meat easier to braai, better looking on your burger and softer to bite. Spice each chicken fillet with salt and pepper or your favourite braai salt. Either brush each one with oil or simply pour a bit of oil onto them and toss the fillets around until all are coated. Now braai the meat for about 6 to 10 minutes until it is done. The nice thing about chicken breast fillets is that you can actually see the meat colour changing from raw to ready on the braai.
- Prepare and braai the rolls: Neatly slice each roll in half with a bread knife and paint or spread or drip all 8 insides with olive oil. During the final few minutes of the chicken braai, toast the insides of the rolls on your grid over the coals. The attentive braaier will correctly guess that these rolls are taking the place of croutons in the version of Caesar salad served by restaurant-type establishments.
- Assemble the burgers: Bottom half of fire-toasted roll, lettuce, braaied chicken breast, sauce, Parmesan shavings, top half of fire-toasted roll.
Rump Steak Shawarma
Döner also known elsewhere in the world as shawarma, kebab or pita bread is the most popular street food in the German capital city Berlin. It consists of a flat pita bread filled with various trimmings but the main and star ingredient is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The outer layer is sliced vertically into thin shavings as it cooks. Well, that is how they generally do it in Berlin anyhow. BUT: There is an easier way to make your own, that will be quicker, look cooler and also taste better. And that my friends is of course is that we braai the rump steak instead of it dancing on a pole all day. You still get the same flavours but only more, because have have the additional world class flavour of the braai!
WHAT YOU NEED: (Feeds 4)
- 2 carrots
- 2 small baby cabbages or 2 quarters from big ones (Use 1 green and 1 red)
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tot brown sugar
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- ½ cucumber
- 2 sweet red pepper, red and yellow, thinly sliced,
- Hummus
- Full cream yogurt
- Pita Bread
- Rump Steak
WHAT TO DO:
- Use your grater to grate the cabbage and carrots together in a bowl. Add the thinly sliced onion. Pour the sugar, salt, vinegar, cumin seeds and thyme into the bowl and mix well. Let this mixture sit aside and start to pickle as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Slice the red pepper, yellow pepper, radishes and cucumber into thin slices and keep them aside, ready to use when you assemble the pita.
- Prepare your steak by salting your steaks with coarse sea salt. Do not panic that this will be too salty, most of the salt will fall off during the braai.
- Braai your steak over hot coals for 8 minutes until medium rare. Feel free to add some extra spice to your steak, when the craving speaks to me I just use a bottle of peri peri sauce that’s in the kitchen. Let the steak rest for a few minutes and then carve it into very thin slivers at a 45° angle.
- Give the pitas some time on the coals and toast them lightly before you start to assemble your meal.
- Now build your shawarma: Halve the toasted pitas and spread with a layer of hummus on the inside. Add a bit of the pickled salad and the rest of the salad ingredients. Top it off with slices of rump steak and finish it with some yogurt on top.
SCHWEINSHAXE (BRAAIED PORK KNUCKlES)
Schweinshaxe is a German dish, famous the world over. You start off by cooking pork hocks or eisbein until they are very tender. Then you braai them over hot coals to give them a great flavour and make them crispy. This tastes far superior to the classic German version where you just grill them in an oven to finish them off. If your butcher or supermarket only has smoked pork hocks or smoked eisbein, don’t worry; it works just as well and obviously your meal will have an even deeper smoky flavour.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4)
- 4 small pork hocks or eisbeins (regular or smoked)
- 2 bottles apple cider (like Hunters or Savanna)
- 2 cups water
- salt
WHAT TO DO:
- Put everything into a large potjie. The liquid should just cover the pork, so add extra water if necessary.
- Put the potjie over a hot fire, then cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Simmer (it mustn’t boil rapidly) for 2½–3 hours, then take it off the fire. You want the meat nice and soft but not falling off the bone. You should check on the meat during this time as it might be ready sooner; this is not an exact science.
- Use braai tongs to lift the cooked pork hocks out of the potjie, shake off the liquid and then generously salt them (smoked hocks will generally be very salty already, and will not need any extra salt).
- Now for the braai: You’ll need an open grid as a hinged grid won’t close over the hocks. Braai for about 20 minutes in total over hot coals until they are nicely browned on all sides. Remember, the meat is already cooked so you just want to give it some crunch, colour and flavour.
- Serve immediately with mashed potatoes that you flavour with cream, wholegrain mustard, salt and pepper.AND …
If your pork is cooked before you’re ready to braai, take the potjie off the coals and let the hocks rest in the water – an hour or two of resting in lukewarm water will just result in more tender pork.
BRAAIED GARLIC AND CREAM MUSHROOMS
I’m a big fan of mushrooms, onions, garlic and cream as individuals. Together they create an exquisite taste, or as Aristotle used to say, ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. It’s a nice starter or side dish and is also known to be very popular around the late-night ‘atmosfire’, as a second braai of the evening.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4–6 as a snack)
- 2 tots butter
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
- 500 g whole mushrooms (brown, button or any mixture of these or others sold commercially for culinary consumption)
- 1 sprig thyme (stalk removed)
- 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup cream (250 ml tub)
- slices of bread (toasted on the fire – to serve)
- 1 tot finely chopped parsley (optional – to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil and butter in a potjie or flameproof pan over a hot fire, add the chopped onion and fry until they become very soft and begin to turn light brown on the edges. Depending on your heat, this will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme, then fry until the mushrooms soften and start to brown (your pan needs to be very hot so don’t be shy about having a few flames under it). Initially, the mushrooms might struggle to fit into the pan, but they will shrink as they cook.
- Season with salt and pepper, then pour over the cream and bring to the boil. Simmer the cream for a few minutes, stirring often, until it reduces and forms a thick sauce (it’ll darken slightly and turn a shade of grey, like the mushrooms). Timing is pretty important. You need to remove the potjie or pan from the fire when the sauce is thick, but before it has reduced too much and all the sauce is gone. If you don’t have time to reduce the whole cup of cream, just use half a cup, but be aware that the meal won’t taste quite as awesome.
- Use a large spoon to scoop the creamy mushrooms onto the toasted bread and serve immediately, topped with finely chopped parsley.
AND …
The quality of bread used has a direct impact on the end result and your enjoyment of the meal. These days we have a wide variety of great breads available in South Africa and, compared with meat, special breads are relatively cheap so buy the best available. When you walk into an artisan bakery and you feel a bit unsure of yourself, just ask for a sourdough bread. When serving braaied food with a slice of bread, you want to butter the bread on one side and toast it over medium coals for the final few minutes of your braai until golden brown. The idea is to have it ready with the rest of the meal. For any braaied meal that I suggest you serve with bread, you get bonus points if you serve it with freshly braaied roosterkoek.
THE GARLIC BURGER CHARTER
With this burger we are not going to beat about the garlic plantation. It is our explicit intention to have the recognisable flavour of garlic ever present. Let’s clear something up – there is no such thing as ‘breath that stinks of garlic’. What these counter-garlic revolutionaries are actually trying to say is ‘you carry the pleasant smell of garlic, I am jealous of the great meal you had’. Garlic is very healthy for you and has been used by humans to flavour food for over 7 000 years. If you have friends who frown upon the abundant culinary use of garlic, my suggestion is that you simply cut them from your circle of trust. Alternatively, give them a fair warning not to attend your garlic burger braai!
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
FOR THE BURGERS
- 1 kg beef mince
- 4 hamburger rolls
- 1 roll or slab of garlic and herb butter
- 1 tot olive oil
- salt and pepper (freshly ground)
- salad leaves
- 2 tomatoes (sliced)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 tot butter
- 6 garlic cloves (crushed and finely chopped – this is enough if the cloves are a decent size; otherwise use more because you want the sauce to have a strong taste of garlic)
- 1 tot flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup cheese (aged white Cheddar, grated)
- 1 tsp salt
WHAT TO DO:
- Make the patties: Cut four disks of about 1 cm thick from the roll or slab of garlic butter. Use your wet hands, recently washed with soap and then rinsed with cold water, to divide the mince into 4 evenly sized balls and then form the patties around the disks of butter. The idea is to have firm patties with the butter disks at the centre. In practice you put a disk of butter on a ball of mince, push it right to the middle of the mince with one of your thumbs and then form the patty around it. To flatten and neaten them I like to put them on a flat surface, press down on the patty with the palm of one hand and pat them all around the side with the other hand. Put the patties on a plate and refrigerate until you’re ready to braai them.
- Make the creamy garlic sauce: Melt the butter in a pot and add the garlic. Let the garlic fry for about 30 seconds and then add the flour and mix well. Add a little bit of milk at a time and stir continuously. Keep on adding the milk and once it is all in, gradually add the cream and stir until all of that is in as well. Now let the mixture simmer for a few minutes. Add the cheese, stir that in and season to taste with salt. You could theoretically perform this step while you braai the patties but I like to do it beforehand and then to reheat and wake up the sauce just as it’s about to be served.
- Braai the patties: The biggest challenge is keeping the patties in one piece by ensuring that they don’t stick to the grid. Put the patties down very gently, do not press on them, do not handle them any more than is necessary, and when you turn them do it with extreme care. Start on very high heat to seal them quickly, hopefully before they have the chance to ‘sink’ into the grid and get stuck. Braai the patty for about 8 to 10 minutes in total. Once on each side will do the trick so you will need to turn them only once. Don’t fiddle with the patties to check whether they are sticking. As the meat starts to cook, it releases fat and juices and usually loosens itself from the grid. If you always have a big problem with patties sticking to the grid then brush them with oil on both sides before the braai.
- For bonus points: If you have the time and enough space on your braai grid, toast the insides of the rolls after you’ve buttered them during the final stages of your braai.
- Assemble your burgers: Place lettuce and tomato at the bottom of the bun, followed by your braaied garlic-stuffed patty and a generous helping of the creamy garlic and cheese sauce. Finish with salt and pepper.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Peppadew is a proudly South African product and a great option to stuff chicken breasts with for a braai. Naturally this tripartite alliance isn’t complete without some feta cheese. The flavours of this recipe work well together and the braai part of it is also pretty straightforward. The tricky part is making the incision in the chicken breasts to stuff them. Use a very sharp knife and please be careful. To wrap them up you use normal white string. Don’t attempt to close them with toothpicks – that’s for kitchen cooking, not for the braai. This recipe is much easier than it might sound so if you’ve never stuffed and braaied chicken breasts, give it a go!
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- 8 peppadews (mild sweet piquante peppers, chopped)
- 2 wheels feta cheese (about 150 g, crumbled)
- 1 lemon
- 1 tot olive oil
- salt and pepper
- honey (optional)
- normal white string
WHAT TO DO:
- Cut at least 20 pieces of string, each one long enough to go around a chicken breast fillet and also to then make a knot with.
- Use a heavy object like a meat mallet or bottle of wine and gently whack the thick bulky part of each chicken breast once so that they drop their attitude.
- Use a very sharp knife (the sharper the safer) and open the chicken breasts one by one. Start by making an incision from the side, right in the middle of the thickest part and work your way in from there. Take care not to cut through either of the sides or the back ‘spine’ of the meat. You want to create a pocket that can be filled, and the bigger the pocket the more filling! Realistically you might knick and breach a side wall of a piece of meat here and there. This is not a crisis and can be fixed when you wrap them up with the string.
- Mix the chopped peppadews and feta together and stuff the chicken breasts with the mixture.
- Secure the breasts with string to keep it all together. I find that 5 pieces of string per chicken breast do the trick and ensure a hassle-free braai process. Wherever you knicked an outside wall of the chicken and the stuffing wants to escape, simply pull some adjacent meat over the hole and tie string tightly around it at that point. Once done, use scissors to cut off any long excess pieces of string from the knots.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each piece of meat, drizzle with olive oil so that it does not stick to the grid, and season with salt and pepper.
- Braai over medium heat for about 20 minutes until cooked through. The braai process of a stuffed chicken breast is more like braaing chicken drumsticks and thighs than like braaing flat chicken breast fillets. In other words use moderate heat, go slowly and turn often.
- During the final minutes of the braai you can paint the chicken breasts with honey as this will cause a nice caramelisation on their surface and make them look cool on your photos.
CHOCOLATE FONDANT POTJIE PUDDING
There is a medical reason why you should eat chocolate. The scent of the chocolate increases theta brain waves, which induces relaxation. We all know how vitally important it is to destress, relax and feel good about your life. And this is why you and your loved ones should consume the baked chocolate potjie as often as possible. It will make you a better person.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 8)
FOR THE BATTER
- 1 egg
- 3 tots butter (melted)
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tot vanilla essence
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 tot cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 small slabs dark chocolate (80 g each, broken into blocks)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 2 tots cocoa powder
- 1½ cups boiling water
TO SERVE
- fresh cream or ice cream
WHAT TO DO
- Make the batter, part 1: In your no. 10 flat-bottomed baking potjie, whisk the egg and then use your wooden spoon and mix the butter, milk and vanilla with the whisked egg.
- Make the batter, part 2: Now mix the flour, cocoa, salt, sugar and chopped chocolate pieces into the wet mixture of step 1. Just use the sugar and cocoa specified as ingredients for the batter, not the sugar and cocoa for the sauce, which only comes in the next step. Everything needs to be mixed properly so use a wooden spoon and put in some effort. If you’re unfit get one of your friends or family members to help you, or buy yourself a cordless stick blender (it changed my life).
- Make the sauce: Stir the sugar, cocoa powder and boiling water together until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour this hot cocoa-sugar-water mixture over the dough mixture that is already in the pot.
- Bake: Put the lid on the potjie and bake for 25 minutes by placing coals under the pot and a lot of coals on the lid of the pot. Your work of art is ready when the top is firm to the touch.
- Serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Braaied Tomato Soup
Your serve your Braaied Tomato Soup with a Three Cheese Braaibroodjie.
What you need for the soup:
- 3 tots olive oil
- 2 red onions, chopped roughly
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled. (no need to chop)
- 1kg of tomatoes , halved or quartered (you can use different types tomatoes for colours and extra taste)
- Salt & pepper
- 250 ml white wine
- 250 ml good quality chicken stock
- 2 tots balsamic vinegar
- Few sprigs of fresh herbs like basil, oregano and parsley
What you need for the 3 cheese braaibroodjie:
- Sliced white bread
- Butter
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- Grated parmesan/pecorino cheese
Make the soup:
- Place the olive oil, onion, garlic and tomatoes in your potjie or fire proof pan and season with salt and pepper. Place the pan onto the fire on very high heat and let the tomatoes start to cook and roast.
- As soon as the ingredients start to stick to the bottom of the pan add the white wine, stock and balsamic vinegar. Let this simmer for a few minutes and remove from the heat.
- Add your fresh herbs, and blend the soup with a blender or hand mixer until smooth. Taste the soup and season with extra salt, pepper and a little bit of sugar if needed.
Make the cheese braaibroodjie:
- Spread butter on the outside of the sliced bread and place a mixture of all three cheeses on the bread.
- Braai the braaibroodjies in a closed hinged grid over medium hot coals.
- Remember, a braaibroodjie is a draaibroodjie, so turn often until all the cheese is melted and the outsides are golden brown.
Peri-Peri Chicken Livers
Served with toasted bread to mop up the sauce, peri-peri chicken livers can be enjoyed as a meal on their own for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Alternatively, serve them with rice in starter portions as part of a more expansive braaied meal. The peri-peri sauce recipe as given below can also be used with prawns, steak, fish or chicken.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4 people as a starter or light meal)
For the chicken livers:
- 1 tot oil
- 1 tot butter
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 500 g chicken livers
- 1 tot brandy
- peri-peri sauce (see below)
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tot parsley (finely chopped)
For the peri-peri sauce:
- 1 tot oil
- 1 tot vinegar
- 1 tot lemon juice
- 1 tot water
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chilli or peri-peri powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
WHAT TO DO
- Using a fireproof pan or cast-iron pot, heat the oil and butter.
- Add the chopped onion and fry until soft. This takes about 4 minutes.
- Add the chicken livers, then fry over high heat for about 5–7 minutes until they start to brown on all sides.
- Next add the brandy and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the peri-peri sauce and then cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce starts to reduce and becomes slightly sticky.
- Now add the cream, stir, and heat through until it just starts to boil again. Take off the fire and top with chopped parsley. Serve straight from the pot, preferably with bread toasted over the coals.
Make the peri-peri sauce:
Mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Use all of this sauce in the chicken liver recipe. If the chicken livers don’t taste hot enough for you, throw in some more chilli powder or chopped chillies.
AND …
You can buy chicken livers in any supermarket, usually frozen but sometimes fresh. Check the label and go for ‘cleaned and trimmed’ livers where you can. If you buy them frozen, first thaw them completely. Next you should clean them, if necessary, by cutting away any sinew. Lastly you should rinse them thoroughly and then drain off the excess water. But infinitely easier is to buy them fresh!
Breakfast Braaibroodjies
The braaibroodjie (braaied toasted sandwich) is the highlight of many a braai. Those not yet emancipated by the fact that you don’t need meat at every braai, frequently braai meat as a pretext when all they actually want is braaibroodjies. Top your work of art with a sunny side up egg or two for the ultimate in breakfast braai. This is the superior South African braai fire version of the classic French croque-madame.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes 9 braaibroodjies)
- 1 pre-sliced loaf white bread (usually contains at least 18 useable slices)
- 300 g cheddar cheese (sliced – grate if you want to, but it falls out easier)
- 1 large onion (sliced into rings)
- 4 tomatoes, sliced (you need 2 slices per braaibroodjie and there are on average 5 useable slices per tomato)
- chutney
- butter
- salt and pepper
- one or two eggs per person
WHAT TO DO TO ASSEMBLE
- Butter all the slices of bread on one side. Slice the cheese, onion and tomatoes.
- Place half the bread slices butter side down, spread chutney on them and evenly distribute all the cheese, tomato and onion on top. Grind salt and pepper over that.
- Cover with the remaining bread slices, butter side facing up. Some people try and make an issue out of whether to butter the braaibroodjie on the outside or inside. There is no debate; you butter it on the outside. This makes a golden-brown finished product, and also keeps the braaibroodjie from sticking to the grid.
WHAT TO DO TO BRAAI
- Braaibroodjies are always braaied in a toeklaprooster (hinged grid). Using an open grid for this is silly to the point of stupid. You want very gentle heat and you need to turn them often. They are ready when the outsides are golden brown, the cheese has melted and all the other ingredients are properly heated all the way through. If the outsides are burnt before the cheese is melted you’ve failed.
- Many people braai the broodjies right at the end, after the meat. The advantage is that the coals are then quite gentle but the disadvantage is that your meat then rests until it is cold.
- An alternative trick is to have two identical braai grids. Braai your meat in the bottom one and your braaibroodjies in the other, resting right on top of the meat grid. When you want to turn the meat, first remove the top grid with the braaibroodjies in it. Turn both grids and then replace, meat grid below, bread grid on top. The heat will reach the bread and start to melt the cheese but the meat will protect the bread from the direct heat and getting burnt. Right at the end, when you remove the meat, give the bread solid direct heat for about a minute on each side to get some colour.
- Top each braaibroodjie with one or two baked sunny side up eggs.
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
This recipe is pretty self-explanatory and I trust that even the casual observer will clearly see how great it is by simply reading through it. You make a very high-quality relish in your potjie on the fire and then you bake or poach some eggs in hollows in the relish. Simple as that. The only ingredient that could be mildly challenging is cabanossi, which is similar to droëwors and can be found at butcheries throughout South Africa. Failing that, just use salami or chorizo.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4–6)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 200 g cabanossi (or chorizo or salami, sliced into small pieces)
- 1 red onion (sliced)
- 1 red pepper (sliced)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes (halved, 250 g)
- 1 tub feta cheese (200 g, Danish style works best for this one)
- 6 jumbo eggs (the biggest eggs you can find)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- a handful of basil leaves (chopped or torn into smaller pieces)
- slices of bread (toasted on the fire, to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- In your no. 10 flat-bottomed potjie, heat the oil and fry the cabanossi, onion and pepper for a few minutes. You want the cabanossi to sweat and release a good aroma, and the onion to soften.
- Add the garlic, cayenne pepper and paprika and fry for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes and mix it all together. Let it simmer covered with the lid, for about 10 minutes so that all the flavours can socialise and get to know each other.
- Crumble all of the feta evenly into the potjie on top of the tomato mixture.
- Now use your wooden spoon and make six dents or hollows in the relish, big enough for an egg. Break an egg into each hole, taking care not to break the egg yolks.
- Season with salt and pepper and close the lid. Leave to cook for about 6 minutes on flames or coals. The relish needs to bubble as that will cook the eggs. The meal is ready when the egg whites are mostly cooked and the yellow still mostly soft.
- There is no harm in lifting the lid and peeking inside the potjie to see when this is done.
- Sprinkle with the basil leaves and serve immediately; this is not a meal that needs to rest before serving.
Chicken Biryani
This layered chicken and rice dish originated in North India but is such a firm favourite locally that we can view it as an adopted child of South African cuisine.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6)
- 2 cups basmati rice (uncooked)
- 2 tots butter
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tot ground turmeric
- 3 tots curry powder
- 1 tot ginger (crushed)
- 12 – 18 pieces of chicken
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tots fresh coriander (finely chopped)
- almonds (flaked and toasted – optional for serving; not only tastes great but looks and sounds cool as well)
WHAT TO DO
- Cook 2 cups of basmati rice in 12 cups of water and then drain.
- Put your potjie on the fire. Apart from the initial frying part, this dish is made with medium-low heat all the way through, so make sure your fire is not too hot. Rather keep adding coals if the heat is not enough. Add the butter, onions, bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Fry for about 5–10 minutes until the onions are soft and shiny but not brown.
- Add the turmeric, curry powder and crushed ginger. Stir all of this around for another minute.
- Now it’s time for the chicken, salt and pepper to go in. Fry for a few minutes just to give it some colour. Pour in the chicken stock, then stir and cover with a lid. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring half-way through.
- Remove the lid, and top with the cooked rice, spreading it out to the edges and flattening the top. Cover with the lid, then cook for another 10 minutes over very low heat.
- Take the potjie off the fire and leave to stand for 10 minutes before opening the lid.
- Serve with chopped coriander and some toasted flaked almonds.
AND …
Chicken biryani can be slightly dry, which is just one of those things. You counteract this problem, and add to the taste, by serving it with a raita sauce, which is similar to a Greek tzatziki and is very easy to make.
Make the raita:
- 2 cups plain yoghurt (I prefer Greek to Bulgarian)
- 1/2 cucumber (seeds removed and coarsely grated)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tot coriander leaves (finely chopped)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- Just mix the ingredients together.
JAN BRAAI LAMB PITA
Depending on whether you prefer speaking Greek, Turkish or Arabic around the braai fire you might also like to call this meal a gyro, döner or shawarma, it’s really up to you. Whatever language you speak, the important thing is to gather around a fire. Everyone loves this meal and as a bonus it looks great in photos. There is no need for a dancing pole with a few revolving tonnes of meat to make a great lamb pita. This is the South African version so we simply braai some chops.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6)
- 6 lamb leg chops (those big roundish ones)
- 6 pita breads
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 tot olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt (or full-cream yoghurt)
- ½ cucumber (chopped)
- 1 tot olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice
FOR THE SALAD
- 2 big tomatoes (or 12 cherry tomatoes, chopped)
- ½ cucumber (the other half)
- 1 smallish red onion (or half a big one, finely chopped)
- 1 tot fresh mint
- 1 tot fresh parsley
- 1 tot fresh oregano
- 1 tot olive oil
WHAT TO DO
- Crush the coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle, and mix in the salt, pepper, garlic cloves, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Rub the chops with the mixture from step 1, cover and let them marinate in a fridge for about 2 hours.
- Make the sauce by combining the first four ingredients and then adding salt, pepper and a few squeezes of lemon juice to taste.
- Make the salad by chopping and combining the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mint, parsley and oregano. Add a bit of olive oil to give it that nice shine.
- Braai the chops for about 10 to 12 minutes over hot coals until done.
- As you remove the chops from the grid, add the pita breads to the grid and toast them for a few minutes, turning a few times and taking extreme care not to let them burn.
- Use your sharp chef’s or carving knife to debone the chops and slice them in thin diagonal slivers.
- Open the toasted pita breads and evenly distribute the various ingredients into them.
Apple Tart in a potjie
I first learnt to make apple tart with my friend Louis Jonker, the renowned part-time chef from Stellenbosch (at home he and his wife Anita split the cooking half-and-half). Once, during a visit to Ceres in the Western Cape, I decided to try something I’d never seen before (but it has since grown to such fame that it’s now standard practice) – apple tart in a potjie! I adjusted the recipe slightly for cooking on a fire, and the end result was very successful. Try it and see for yourself!
What you need (serves 6 – 8)
For the filling:
- 8–10 Granny Smith apples (Louis and all the Ceres locals assured me that when baking apple tart, Granny Smith apples are the way to go)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tots brandy (or rum)
For the crumble:
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (caramel brown sugar, or ordinary light brown sugar)
- 125 g salted butter (a quarter of a 500 g block – soft)
- another 2 tots butter
- another dash of cinnamon
- vanilla ice-cream (or cream, to serve)
What do do:
- Peel and core the apples, cut them into chunks and throw them in a potjie. Add the water, raisins, cinnamon and brandy, and mix well.
- Put the potjie on the fire, with the lid on. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Remove from the fire once cooked.
- While the apples and their friends cook, add the flour, sugar and butter to a bowl and rub together with your clean fingertips until it forms a dry, crumbly mixture.
- Add half of the crumble mixture to the potjie and mix it into the cooked apples.
- Use the rest of the crumble mixture to cover the apples – make sure it spreads out evenly.
- Add a couple of knobs of butter on top of the crumble and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over the top to give the tart some colour. Put the lid on the potjie and go back to the fire.
- Put the potjie over gentle coals and also put coals on the lid. When and if the coals lose power, add extra coals to the bottom and top of the potjie. If the fire is big and one side of the potjie gets more heat than the other, rotate the potjie every now and again.
- Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, until you see the apple sauce bubbling through the crust when you lift the lid.
- Enjoy with some vanilla ice-cream or cream.
Pasta Potjie
During my formative years of high school, my father expected me to start taking over part of the braai duties, like making the fire. As I progressed in my braai career, I was later even allowed to turn the grid, on his instruction from a chair of course. At that time my mother also started teaching me a few kitchen fundamentals, like how to make a lasagne. During this era of my life, one of our family’s favourite restaurants served a pasta that I absolutely loved. So much so that at that young and inexperienced age I embarked on a research and development project to recreate that dish at home. It so happens that you can prepare this meal extremely successfully in a classic three-legged potjie on the fire. Truth be told, it’s even better this way.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4–6)
- 500 g pasta
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 tot butter
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 packet bacon (250 g, chopped)
- 1 punnet mushrooms (250 g)
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cream
- fresh green herbs (chopped, optional for serving)
- lemon wedges (to serve, optional)
WHAT TO DO
- Place your classic potjie on the fire and boil the pasta in salted water until 80% done. The trick here is to not boil it all the way, as we’re going to add it back to the meal later for a second round of cooking. Drain the partly cooked pasta from the pot and preserve some of the liquid in a cup.
- Put the potjie back on the fire and add the oil, butter and chopped onion. Sauté the onion for a few minutes until it starts to get a nice colour.
- Now add the chopped garlic, chopped bacon and mushrooms to the pot. Depending on the size of the mushrooms and how much you like to make extra work for yourself, you can either chop or not chop them. Stir-fry until the bacon and mushrooms are cooked.
- While the bacon and mushrooms are cooking, scrape some coals from the fire and braai the 4 chicken breast fillets. You can season them with normal salt and pepper or your favourite braai spice. Chicken breast fillets take about 6 to 10 minutes to braai, so this meal is going to come together very nicely at the end!
- Back to the pot: Once you are happy with the bacon and mushrooms, add all of the 80% cooked pasta from step 1 back to the pot and add the cream to it. Stir through paying specific attention to the fact that the pot should not run dry and burn. If at any stage the pot looks a bit dry, add some or all of the pasta water you preserved in step 1 or consider impact players like butter and olive oil.
- Once the chicken breasts are braaied, remove them from the fire and artfully slice them diagonally into strips. Now mix the chicken breast strips into the pasta.
AND…
If you’re so inclined and attuned to the finer details, the meal can be finished with a drizzle of high-quality South African olive oil, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Paella
Catering and kitchen shops sell a type of fireproof steel pan that is perfect for the preparation of this dish, so perfect in fact that this pan is widely referred to as a ‘paella pan’. Paella actually means ‘pan’ and this is where the name of the dish comes from so get yourself one of them. Failing that, any normal cast-iron pot also does the job.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 8)
- 8 chicken pieces (thighs and/or drumsticks)
- 2 kg shellfish (in the shell – like black mussels and prawns. If you’re using just meat without shells, 1 kg is sufficient.)
- 500 g fresh fish fillets (cut into blocks)
- 250 g spicy cured sausages (sliced or chopped – like chorizo or pepperoni)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 peppers (chopped – green, red or yellow)
- 2 cups rice (uncooked)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed or chopped)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 4 tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 cups fish, chicken or vegetable stock (3 cups is 750 ml which is also the size of a wine bottle)
- 1 cup black olives (pitted)
- 250 g peas (they come in frozen packets of this size)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tot parsley (chopped)
- salt and pepper
- lemon wedges
Please note that as with most dishes cooked on a braai, paella ingredients are not exact. Take these ingredients as a guideline.
WHAT TO DO
- In a large pan on the fire, fry the onions and peppers in the oil for 3 minutes. Your coals should be just hot enough to actually fry the onion. As the steel of the pan is much thinner than a cast-iron pot, it will be a bit more sensitive to heat.
- Add the rice and mix well. All the rice should be thinly coated with oil. If this is not the case, add a bit more oil. Fry the rice for a few minutes until it turns pale golden in colour. Now add the garlic, paprika, turmeric, chilli powder and chopped tomatoes and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add the stock and cover the pan with a lid or with tinfoil. The rice should now cook until soft, which will take about 35 minutes in total. Slightly reduce the heat under the pan by scraping away some coals. You are allowed to lift the lid now and again to stir the rice, and to monitor that it is not burning. Should everything seem a bit quiet, scrape a few extra coals back under the pan.
- After 20 of those 35 minutes, add the seafood, spicy sausage, olives and peas to the pan. Stir it in and cover the pan again. The seafood will cook in these last 15 minutes. Monitor your liquid level and add the wine if the pan becomes dry. If the wine is in and the pan still dry, start adding small amounts of water.
- On the side, and timing it to be ready with the rest of the dish, braai the chicken pieces in a grid over coals. This will take about 20–25 minutes.
- When the rice is soft, sample the dish and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange the chicken pieces on top, garnish with parsley and lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
Creole Chicken Curry
While on holiday in Mauritius a few years ago, my brother-in-law and I used to skip the tourist traps and head to the eateries the locals favoured to eat some proper traditional Mauritian curry called cari poule. Although authentic Mauritian curry powder isn’t readily available in South Africa (or anywhere else but Mauritius for that matter), you can substitute it with any mild curry powder with added fennel and cardamom. Best practice is to marinate the chicken for a few hours before you start, or even overnight.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6)
For the marinade:
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
- 1 tot fresh ginger (crushed or chopped)
- 1 tot fresh thyme leaves (finely chopped)
- 1 tot fresh parsley (stems included, finely chopped)
- 2 tots medium curry powder
- 1/2 tot ground fennel (just grind or pound fennel seeds)
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tots vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
For the rest of the curry:
- 2 kg chicken pieces (bone in, remove skin from some of the chicken pieces or the meal will be very fatty)
- 1 tot vegetable oil
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- fresh coriander leaves (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a large marinating bowl, then add the raw chicken pieces and toss to coat on all sides. Cover and let them marinate in the fridge for a few hours, or preferably overnight.
- Heat the oil in a potjie and fry the onions until they are soft.
- Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and add them to the potjie. Fry until the chicken starts to get a golden colour (don’t add the rest of the marinade that is left in the bowl just yet). You don’t need to cook the chicken completely; at this point you just want to give it some colour.
- Now add the rest of the marinade and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour, until the chicken is tender and would start to ‘fall from the bone’ if you manhandled it. So work carefully, or it will actually fall off the bone. Now remove the lid and let the potjie simmer until the sauce has reduced to your liking.
- Take the potjie off the fire and serve with white rice, topped with fresh coriander leaves – just tear them off the stalk or chop the whole lot up if you prefer.
AND …
In my experience, you’ll enjoy this curry best with a view of the sea and a side of white rum and coke. Then round it off with an afternoon nap in the shade of a tree.
Pulled Pork Potjie
The concept of pulled pork is very simple. We start with a very cheap cut of meat that is fairly tough. The meat is generously spiced until it has real attitude and we then slow-cook it in a potjie until it’s so soft we can just pull it apart. Pulled pork is not really a meal for two. The size of the meat and time it takes to prepare means that when it’s pulled pork, it’s a party! This recipe is incredibly easy, especially if you follow it. Phone you butcher ahead of time and ask him to prepare a 2 kg piece of deboned pork shoulder. For a competent butcher this is a piece of cake and it’s not a particularly expensive cut of meat either. Failing this, 2 kg of pork shoulder on the bone will work just as well. Supermarkets generally sell pieces of pork meat of roughly this size. Your weapon of choice here is a no. 2 or no. 3 three-legged potjie or a no. 10 flat-bottomed one. You make the dressing sauce ahead of time and you’ll also do most of the work for the pork a few hours in advance. By the time your party guests arrive, all you need to do is occasionally add a few coals under the potjie and of course, serve up a great meal.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 10)
TO PREPARE THE MEAT
- 2 kg pork shoulder (or other piece of pork meat)
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tot paprika
- 1 tot brown sugar
FOR THE POTJIE
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 3 cups liquid (see step 6)
FOR THE RANCH SAUCE
- 1 bottle buttermilk (2 cups)
- 1 tub sour cream
- 3 tots chives (freshly chopped)
- 1 tot Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
WHAT TO DO
- To make the sauce you shake the bottle of buttermilk before opening its top. Now throw that and all the other ingredients for the sauce in a bowl or jug and mix well. Cover whatever the sauce is in and put in in your fridge until you’re ready to serve the meal.
- Prepare the meat by mixing all the spices together then rub the spice blend into the pork shoulder.
- Get some flames under the potjie, add the oil and onion, and fry the onion for a few minutes.
- Now add the garlic and the whole chunk of pork to the potjie.
- Brown the pork shoulder on all sides. You can take as long as you like to do this but aim for 10 minutes.
- Your cooking liquid should be 3 cups in total – 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of beer, cider, white wine, red wine, apple juice or ginger ale. Add all 3 cups to the potjie and let the potjie heat up to a gentle simmer. Now close the lid. The potjie should bubble very slowly for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is very soft and starts to fall apart by itself. Every half hour or so you can lift the lid and flip the meat over. If at any time the potjie is running dry, add a bit more cooking liquid, using any of the options.
- When the pork is done, remove from the fire and let it rest somewhere to relax a bit. Use two forks to pull apart and shred the pork. Taste a piece and congratulate yourself. Now mix all the pulled pork with all the remaining liquid in the potjie.
- Your guests can build their own creations by piling a generous helping of pulled pork meat onto a roll, and topping it with ranch sauce, slices of gherkin and slices of onion.
AND…
Make the rolls with 10 soft burger rolls, 4 big gherkins (sliced into thin strips with a vegetable peeler), and 1 red onion (thinly sliced).
Irish Soda Bread
From an effort point of view, there are three types of bread: flatbread, bread made with yeast, and bread made with baking soda. Flatbread types use no raising agent whatsoever and are consequently flat like roti. Then there is yeasted bread that uses some form of yeast to make it rise. To activate this yeast takes time and you need to knead the dough. Our third bread category uses baking soda to create bubbles in the dough to make it rise. Unlike yeast, baking soda does not need to be kneaded to do its work. In fact, many expert bakers agree that when using baking soda, not only should you knead the dough as little as possible, you should actually not knead it at all! I know what you’re thinking and yes, this is super fantastic news.
The baking soda needs something to react with and we will use buttermilk for that something, as it will also add some taste to the bread. Although you can quite successfully bake a lily-white soda bread, I prefer the taste and coarse texture of wholewheat and oats. When you’re travelling the backroads and get hold of a truly great jar of jam at a farm stall or market, this is the bread it deserves.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 6–8)
- butter (for oiling the potjie)
- 3 cups Nutty Wheat flour (or wholewheat flour)
- 1 cup oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bottle buttermilk (2 cups)
WHAT TO DO
- Smear the inside of your no. 10 flat-bottomed baking potjie generously with butter.
- Put all the ingredients, except for the buttermilk, into a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Now add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until everything is combined. Remember, not only is it unnecessary to knead the dough, it is better not to. So as soon as everything is properly mixed you are good to go.
- Flop the dough into the prepared potjie, dust the top of the bread with some extra flour (this is purely for cosmetic purposes) and use your favourite and sharpest pocket knife to cut a cross in the top of the bread. As with the flour dusting, this cross is only for cosmetic purposes and makes no real contribution to the taste of the end product. (But we all know good-looking food tastes better.)
- Now close the lid and bake for about 45 minutes until done. You want some coals under the potjie and some coals on the lid. When any particular coal loses motivation, discard it and replace with a new one. There is no particular risk in baking the bread too slowly but if you rush it, it might burn so rather err on the side of caution.
- After 45 minutes, remove the lid taking care not to spill too much ash onto the bread. A bit of ash is fine, again, for cosmetic purposes. Insert the tip of a knife into the bread and if it comes out clean, the bread is ready.
- If the bread does not stick to the potjie at all and comes out whole, great. If it sticks to the bottom of the potjie a bit, don’t worry. Take a spatula, go in on the lines of the cross you cut earlier and take it out in quarters.
AND…
This recipe works with any combination of 4 cups of flour. You could drop the oats and go with just 4 cups of Nutty Wheat or wholewheat flour. Or use 2 cups of Nutty Wheat and 2 cups of normal white flour. You get my drift.
Ierse Soda Brood
Wat moeite betref, is daar drie tipes brood: platbrood, brood wat met gis gemaak is, en brood wat met koeksoda gemaak is. Platbrood gebruik hoegenaamd geen rysmiddel nie en is daarom plat; byvoorbeeld ‘n Indiese roti. Dan is daar gegiste brood wat gis in die een of ander vorm gebruik om dit te laat rys. Om die gis aan die gang te kry kan ’n tydjie neem en jy moet die deeg knie. Ons derde broodkategorie gebruik koeksoda om borrels in die deeg te maak sodat dit kan rys. Anders as met gis, is dit nie met koeksoda nodig om die deeg te knie om sy werk gedoen te kry nie. Om die waarheid te sê, die meeste bobaas-bakkers stem saam dat wanneer jy koeksoda gebruik, jy nie net die deeg so min as moontlik hoef te knie nie, jy moet dit eintlik glad nie knie nie! Ek weet wat jy dink, en ja, dis superfantastiese nuus.
Die koeksoda het iets nodig om mee te reageer en in hierdie geval is karringmelk daardie iets, want dit sal ook die brood ’n bietjie smaak gee. Al kan jy met sukses ’n leliewit-sodabrood bak, verkies ek die smaak en growwe tekstuur van volgraan en hawermout. Wanneer jy met die agterpaaie reis en jy kom by ’n plaasstal of mark op ’n regte lekker fles konfyt af, is hierdie die brood wat hy verdien.
This recipe is also available in English here.
WAT JY NODIG HET (vir 6–8 mense)
- botter (om die pot mee te olie)
- 3 koppies Nutty Wheat (of volgraanmeel)
- 1 koppie hawermout
- 1 teelepel koeksoda
- 1 teelepel sout
- 1 bottel karringmelk (2 koppies)
- jou nommer 10-platboompotjie
LAAT WAAI!
- Smeer die binnekant van jou nommer 10-platboompotjie rojaal met botter.
- Gooi al die bestanddele, behalwe die karringmelk, in ’n bak en meng deeglik.
- Nou gooi jy die karringmelk by en roer met ’n houtlepel totdat alles gemeng is. Onthou, dis nie net onnodig om die deeg te knie nie, dis beter om dit oor te slaan. Sodra alles ordentlik gemeng is, is jy reg om aan te gaan.
- Smeer die binnekant van jou nommer 10-platboompotjie met genoeg botter. Dop die deeg in die geoliede potjie uit, strooi ’n bietjie ekstra meel bo-oor (dis net vir die mooiheid) en gebruik jou gunsteling- en skerpste knipmes om ’n kruis bo-op die brood te sny. Soos met die meelstrooiery, is die kruis net vir die mooi en maak nie regtig ’n bydrae tot die smaak van die eindproduk nie. (Maar ons almal weet dat kos wat goed lyk, beter smaak.)
- Sit nou die deksel op en bak vir omtrent 45 minute tot gaar. Jy wil ’n klompie kole onder die potjie hê en ’n klompie op die deksel. Wanneer ’n kool moeg is, raak ontslae van hom en vervang met ’n wakker een. Daar is nie ’n besondere risiko daaraan om die brood te stadig te bak nie, maar as jy dit afjaag, kan hy brand, so wees eerder rustig.
- Ná 45 minute, haal die deksel af en pasop dat jy nie te veel as op die brood mors nie. Steek die punt van ’n mes in die brood en as hy skoon is wanneer jy hom uittrek, is die brood reg.
- As die brood glad nie in die potjie vassit nie en in een stuk uitkom, mooi so. As hy effe aan die bodem van die potjie klou, moenie bekommer nie. Vat ’n spatel en druk hom in op die lyne wat jy vroeër in die brood gesny het en haal hom in kwarte uit.
EN…
Die resep werk met enige kombinasie van 4 koppies meel. Jy kan die hawermout uitlos en net die 4 koppies Nutty Wheat of volgraanmeel gebruik. Of gebruik 2 koppies Nutty Wheat en 2 koppies gewone wit meel. Jy weet wat ek bedoel.
BACON, PINEAPPLE AND SWEET CHILLI BURGER
This recipe started out life when my parents had a particularly large crop of chillies in their herb garden. You can only use that many chillies in your curry potjies and so we decided to try and make sweet chilli sauce with some of the red devils. Practice makes perfect and before long there was the sweet chilli sauce recipe below, which as you will see once you make it, is very good! I feel that a properly braaied beef burger is the perfect vehicle to carry this sauce to your mouth, and that braaied bacon and pineapple are the best fellow passengers it could possibly wish for.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
FOR THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE
- 5 chillies (any type or a combination, with a few extra on standby)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar (or rice vinegar or white grape vinegar)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tot cornflour mixed with 1/2 tot water
FOR THE BURGER
- 1 kg beef mince (buy steak and mince at home or ask your butcher)
- 4 hamburger rolls
- salt and pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 packet streaky bacon (250 g)
- 1 pineapple (peeled and sliced into rings)
- butter (for the rolls)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- salad leaves tomato (sliced)
WHAT TO DO
MAKE THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE
- Chop the chillies finely. If you don’t want too much burn in the sauce, remove some or all of the seeds. If you like it hot, leave the seeds in. If you think the chillies you have are quite mild, use more than 5 chillies. If you think the chillies you have are particularly potent, use your common sense and good luck!
- Throw the chopped chillies, garlic, vinegar, water, sugar, salt and soy sauce into a small flameproof pan or potjie, then stir well and bring to a simmer over some coals or a few flames. Naturally this can also be done on a stove.
- Simmer for about 6 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved completely; the exact time will obviously depend on your coals or flames.
- Mix the half tot of cornflour with a half tot of water in a suitable cup, glass or mug. Add the cornflour mixture to the sauce and stir until the sauce gets thicker. This will take about 1 minute.
- The sauce is now ready. Remove from the fire, let it cool slightly while you braai the meat and then serve.
MAKE THE BURGER
- Form the mince into 4 evenly sized patties with your hands and flatten out.
- When you braai the patties, the biggest challenge is keeping them in one piece. Put them down very gently on the grid, do not press on them, do not handle them any more than is necessary, and turn them with extreme care. Start on very high heat to seal them quickly, hopefully before they have the chance to ‘sink’ into the grid. Braai for about 8 minutes in total. Once on each side during that time is enough. As the meat starts to cook it releases fat and juices and usually loosens itself from the grid. Season the patties with a grind of salt and pepper while they are braaing.
- While the patties are braaing, also place the bacon on your grid and braai until crispy. Also braai the pineapple slices for 5 minutes on each side so that they caramelise and sweeten.
- As the elements on the grid become ready, remove and use that empty space on the braai grid to toast the insides of the rolls after you’ve buttered them.
- Assemble the burger with your freshly homemade sweet chilli sauce as the crowing glory.
Bread Pudding Potjie
There are two reasons why you should make the recipe we have here: It’s very easy and it tastes great. Your weapon of choice is a no. 10 flat-bottomed baking potjie. Everything that can possibly go wrong when making bread pudding is taken care of by the preparation method in this recipe. It is foolproof, it is the best bread pudding recipe in existence, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If there were a World Cup of Bread Puddings, this one would not be knocked out in the semi-finals. It would win the trophy.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 8)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- 1/2 block butter (250 g)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 12 slices normal white bread
- 4 eggs
- 1 tin coconut milk (400 ml)
- 1 tot vanilla extract
WHAT TO DO
- Marinate the raisins in the rum for at least an hour before you start work on this recipe, but a day of marinating is also fine.
- Leave the butter outside your fridge for a few hours to soften as this will make the next step immensely easier.
- Mix the soft butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and liberally spread this mixture on one side of all of the slices of bread. Make sure you butter each slice right to its edges. Ration yourself so that there is enough cinnamon butter for all the slices but make sure that by the end you have used it all up.
- Now cut the slices diagonally into halves, giving you 24 triangles. If you cut each one separately you need to slice 12 times but naturally you can stack them and slice a few at a time.
- Arrange all of the bread triangles in the pot. There is no right or wrong way to do this, simply pack them into the potjie in whatever way you please.
- Now scatter the rum-marinated raisins over the slices of bread in the potjie.
- There is no reason to discard the raisin-infused rum. Pour it on ice with something like ginger beer and enjoy as a cocktail.
- Whisk the eggs. A fork is fine, you don’t need an actual whisk – this is not a cooking school exam.
- Now mix the coconut milk and the vanilla essence with the whisked eggs.
- Pour this mixture over the bread and his friends in the pot. Put the lid on the pot and let the wet stuff soak into the dry stuff for a few minutes before baking.
- With the lid still closed, bake for 30 minutes until firm and golden-brown. This is a very easy process where you just need some coals underneath the pot and on top of the lid. Our aim here is that the sugar melts, the egg cooks and that the whole dessert is piping hot throughout. By the time all of this is done, the top exposed parts of the bread will be nice and crispy. These well-buttered but now crispy parts of bread add texture to the final product. As we buttered all slices of bread properly at the outset, they will not be dry, just crisp. It’s one of the reasons why this is the best bread pudding ever.
You can serve it as is or with ice cream or whipped cream.
Bobotie Potjie
Bobotie is a South African classic and an important part of our culinary heritage. It’s also one of my favourite meals, but this doesn’t make me special: everybody loves bobotie. As with many other South African cult hits, you can cook it very successfully in a potjie on a braai fire. I believe it’s your moral duty to perfect the art of making bobotie. It’s a great way to show off when you cook for visitors to South Africa.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6)
- 1 tot oil
- 3 onions (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 tots medium strength curry powder
- 1/2 tot ground turmeric
- 1 kg beef mince, ostrich mince or venison mince
- 1/2 tot salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup apricot jam
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup almond flakes
- 1 tot vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 5 bay leaves
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- rice (to serve)
- chutney (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil in a flat-bottomed potjie over a medium-hot fire and fry the onions and garlic until the onions are soft but not brown.
- Add the curry powder and turmeric, then fry for a minute – the bottom of the potjie will look quite dry, but don’t let the mixture burn.
- Chuck in the mince and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring it to break up any lumps with a wooden spoon. The mince should change colour from red to light brown, but shouldn’t turn dark yet. The meat should release some juices – use these juices and your wooden spoon to loosen any sticky bits on the bottom of the potjie.
- Add the salt and pepper, apricot jam, raisins, almond flakes and vinegar/lemon juice. Stir well, bring to a slow simmer and put on the lid. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring once in a while to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.
- Now remove the lid and flatten the mixture with the back of your spoon so that it’s even across the bottom of the potjie. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small mixing bowl, then pour over the bobotie. Stick the bay leaves into the egg mixture. Cover with the lid and put a layer of hot coals on top of the lid. At this stage you only want coals on the lid, not underneath the potjie. Cook for 30 minutes and the bobotie should be ready.
- Serve with rice and chutney on the side.
AND …
You might like to serve sliced banana, coconut or chopped tomatoes with the bobotie.
BLOODY MARY BURGER
Millions of people around the world enjoy the combination of ingredients that makes up the Bloody Mary cocktail. As you know, every single one of those ingredients also goes well with a pure 100% beef patty that was braaied on the coals of a wood fire. This brings us to our next magic trick; we’re making a hot sauce based on the classic cocktail and serving it with braaied burgers.
WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 red onion (chopped)
- 1 red pepper (sliced or chopped)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tin tomato cocktail juice (200 ml)
- 1?2 tot Worcestershire sauce
- 1?2 tot Tabasco sauce
- 1 lemon (juice)
- salt and black pepper
- 1 kg beef mince
- 4 hamburger rolls butter
- fresh lettuce leaves
- 4 celery sticks (for garnishing)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil in your fireproof pan and fry the onion and red pepper until soft. Add the paprika and fry for another minute.
- Add the tomato cocktail juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and juice of the lemon, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- 100% beef mince patties do not need any binding agents like egg or bread crumbs. You just need to braai them like a pro. Start by shaping the mince into 4 evenly sized patties with your hands. If you’re doing this ahead of time, put them on a flat even surface like a plate and keep in the fridge until you braai them. Get the thickness equal all round – we’re not making meatballs remember, and they should not look oval with a hump in the middle when you look at them from the side.
- Braai the patties with care. The only way the patties will break apart is if you break them apart. This happens if they stick to the grid, sink into the grid or you turn them all the time – so don’t let any of these things happen. Put the patties down very gently on the grid and do not press on them. The patties are 100% steak so braai them exactly as you would a whole steak of the same size. Braai them on very high heat to seal them quickly before they have the chance to ‘sink’ into the grid. They should spend about 8 to 10 minutes in total over the coals. Once on each side during that time is enough, and twice on each side is the maximum. Don’t fiddle with the patties to check whether they are sticking. As the meat starts to cook it will release fat and juices and usually loosen itself from the grid.
- During the final stages of the braai, toast the insides of the buttered rolls.
- Assemble the burger, starting with the lettuce on the roll at the bottom followed by the patty. Divide the sauce among the 4 burgers. Add some extra freshly ground pepper and the top half of the roll. Garnish by skewering the burgers with a celery stick, which will not only look cool, but also hold it all together. Serve with additional Tabasco sauce. Cheers!
COQ AU VIN – CHICKEN IN REDWINE POTJIE
From my personal experience, this classic French dish is even better cooked in a potjie on a fire, using South African wine. The rule of thumb when cooking with wine is that you should use wine of the same quality that you drink. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to open a new great bottle of wine especially to make this potjie. It just means that if you had a braai dinner party and are left with some half-finished bottles of wine, this is exactly the meal you should cook on one of the days thereafter. You need one bottle of red wine in total, which can be a blend of more than one wine as long as they are all of a decent standard.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6 hungry guests)
- 2 tots oil (or butter)
- about 20 small pickling onions (peeled and whole)
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- parsley equal in volume to the carrot (chopped)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 packet smoked streaky bacon
- 1 packet whole button mushrooms (about 250 g)
- 2,5 kg chicken pieces (any mixture of thighs, drumsticks, breasts)
- 1 tot cake flour
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 tot tomato paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper (coarse, freshly ground)
- 1 tot parsley (chopped)
WHAT TO DO
- If your chicken pieces have skin on them, pull off all the skin that is easy to remove, for example on the thighs and breasts. Leave the skin on the difficult ones like drumsticks; it’s definitely not worth the effort to get it off them.
- Put your potjie over medium coals and add the oil or butter. As soon as there is heat, add the whole onions, carrot, parsley, thyme, bacon and mushrooms. Fry until the bacon starts to turn golden brown.
- Add the chicken pieces and fry for a few minutes until they brown slightly.
- Sprinkle the flour over everything, and stir to coat all of the chicken pieces.
- Next add the red wine and the tomato paste, and stir well. Put the lid on the pot, and simmer for about 60 minutes until tender. Now remove the lid and let the sauce reduce until you are happy with the consistency.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir well. Take off the fire, add the chopped parsley and serve with cooked white rice.
AND …
Just to confirm, in case you were in any doubt, you serve this meal with red wine.
COQ AU VIN – HOENDER IN WYN POTJIE
In my ondervinding word die? beroemde en klassieke Franse dis die beste berei in ‘n potjie op ‘n vuur met Suid-Afrikaanse wyn. Wanneer jy wyn in jou kos gebruik, behoort dit van dieselfde gehalte te wees as wyn wat jy sal drink. Dit beteken natuurlik nie dat jy ‘n goeie bottel wyn spesiaal vir die? resep hoef oop te maak nie. As jy mense met ‘n braai onthaal het en daar is ‘n paar halfgedrinkte bottels wyn oor, is di?t die dis wat jy moet maak. Jy het altesame een bottel se rooiwyn nodig, maar dit kan ‘n mengsel wees solank alles van billike gehalte is.
The English version of this exact recipe is available here.
WAT JY NODIG HET (vir 6 honger gaste)
- 2 sopies olie of botter
- omtrent 20 klein uitjies (soos wat jy sou inle?; afgeskil en heel)
- 1 wortel (opgekap)
- pietersielie (fyngekap, dieselfde volume as die opgekapte wortel)
- 4 takkies vars tiemie
- 1 pakkie gerookte streepspek
- 1 pakkie heel knopie- sampioene (omtrent 250 g)
- 2,5 kg hoenderstukke (enige mengsel van dytjies, boudjies en borsies)
- 1 sopie koekmeel
- 1 bottel rooiwyn
- 1 sopie tamatiepasta
- 2 teelepels sout
- 2 teelepels swartpeper (grof, varsgemaal)
- 1 sopie pietersielie (fyngekap)
LAAT WAAI!
- As jou hoenderstukke vel aan het, trek dit af in die geval van stukke waar dit maklik is om te doen, soos dytjies en borsies. Los maar die vel aan moeilike stukke soos boudjies.
- Sit jou pot op medium hitte en voeg die olie en botter by. Sodra daar hitte is, voeg jy die uie, wortels, pietersielie, tiemie, spek en sampioene by. Braai oor medium hitte totdat die spek goudbruin begin raak.
- Voeg die hoenderstukke by en braai vir ‘n paar minute tot effens bruin.
- Strooi die meel oor alles en roer om die hoenderstukke daarmee te bedek.
- Voeg die rooiwyn en tamatiepasta by en roer deeglik. Sit die pot se deksel op en laat prut vir 60 minute tot sag. Haal die deksel af en laat ‘n bietjie van die vog uit die sous verder afkook.
- Voeg sout en peper by na smaak. Haal van die hitte af, voeg die pietersielie by en bedien met gekookte wit rys.
EN …
Net om te bevestig, indien jy dalk wonder, jy bedien die gereg saam met rooiwyn.
Beef Wellington
Everything tastes better on the braai, in this case it’s the classic Beef Wellington.
What you need:
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 250g mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 1 cup (250ml) cream
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 300 – 500 g steak (rump, sirloin, fillet)
- 400 roll of puff pastry
- grated cheese (optional)
- smoked ham (optional)
What to do:
- Finely chop the onion and mushrooms. Add olive oil and/or butter and the finely chopped onion and mushrooms to a pan and fry until the mushrooms lose their moisture and starts to brown. Then add the thyme.
- Add some or all of the cream to the pan and let this mushroom, onion and cream sauce reduce to a fairly thick paste.
- Trim the steak of your choice (rump, sirloin or fillet) of all sinews and fat and braai over very hot coals for about 8 minutes until medium rare. Let the steak rest a few minutes and then thinly slice.
- Unroll the thawed puff pastry on a cutting board. Spread the mushroom and cream paste on half the surface of the pastry and lay the slices of steak on top of that. Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Optional step: finely chop smoked ham and grate some cheese. Add this on top of the current residents of the puff pastry.
- Fold the uncovered half of the pastry over the filling and use a fork to press all open sides of the pastry closed and seal it.
- Now braai in a hinged grid over medium coals for about 20 minutes until ready. You want the pastry golden brown and crispy and all ingredients heated and melted throughout. As puff pastry braais there will be a moment where it seems to ‘melt’ and sag into the grid. Don’t panic. After this it will firm up again and start to cook.
Gebraaide Beef Wellington
Alles proe beter op ’n braai, en in die gaval is dit die klassieke ‘Beef Wellington’. Hier is die resep soos ek hom in die Bolandse dorp Wellington gebraai het. Die vulsel bestandele was so ’n bietjie te veel vir een rol pasty deeg, so mettertyd sal ek die resep hier onder nog ’n bietjie aanpas deur 2 rolle deeg (een onder en een bo) of minder vulsel bestandele te gebruik. Jy kan enige van die twee opsies uitoefen wanneer jy hom die naweek by die huis maak, en dan vir my terugvoer gee.
The English version of this Beef Wellington recipe is available here.
Wat jy nodig het
- 1 ui (fyngekap)
- 250g sampioene (fyngekap)
- 1 koppie (250ml) room
- 1 rol pasty deeg (ontdooi)
- 300g – 500g steak (rump, sirloin of fillet)
- kaas (opsioneel)
- gerookte ham (opsioneel)
- olyf olie
- sout & peper
Laat Waai!
- Braai die fyngekapte ui en fyngekapte sampioene in ’n pan saam met olyfolie of botter. Gooi dan van of al die room by en laat dit afkook totdat dit ’n dik pasta vorm.
- Sny alle oortollige vet en senings van die vleis af en braai die steak oor baie warm kole tot medium-rou. Laat die steaks ’n paar minute rus en sny dit dan in dun repies.
- Rol die pastydeeg uit op ’n snyplank en smeer die sampioen room mengsel oor helfte daarvan. Pak die repies steak bo op dit en geur behoorlik met sout en peper. Indien jy so voel kan jy ook kaas en ham bygooi, maar dit is opsioneel.
- Vou nou die skoon helfte van die deeg bo-oor toe en druk die kante van jou pasty vas met ’n vurk.
- Braai vir omtrent 20 minute oor medium warm kole in ’n toeklaprooster tot gaar. Die gereg is gereed as die deeg goudbruin en bros is, en die bestandele deurwarm en gesmelt is. Soos jy pastydeeg braai ‘smelt’ dit op ’n stadium en begin dit in die rooster insak. Moenie bekommerd wees nie. Net hierna begin dit gaar word en dan raak dit meer verm.
Pork Neck Curry
I have absolutely no idea how this curry tastes when it’s cold or what it’s like the next day. It always gets completely polished off during the eating of the meal. Your ratio of great food to effort is very high here too and if it takes you more than 1 hour from the first step to serving the meal, you’re doing something wrong. The pork neck chops are tender to begin with so there’s no need for hours of simmering. The two tots medium curry powder used in the recipe is not a printing error so do add all of it. Medium curry powder really does not have a lot of chilli in it. Adding this much packs the meal with spice and flavour while still keeping the mouth-burn levels way below anything that should concern you or your guests.
What you need (feeds 4)
- 8 pork neck chops 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 tot oil or butter
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- ginger, equal in volume to
- the garlic (grated)
- 2 tots medium curry powder
- 2 tots apricot jam
- 2 tots tomato paste (or a 50 g sachet)
- 1?2 tot salt
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup cream
What to do:
- Cut each pork neck chop in half, throw them in a bowl, and squeeze the lemon juice over them. Toss around to distribute the lemon juice evenly.
- Heat the oil in your potjie and fry the onions for about 4 minutes.
- Now add the garlic, ginger and curry powder, and toss together for a minute.
- Add the pork chops and fry in the potjie until all of them have a bit of colour.
- Add the apricot jam, tomato paste and salt, and stir in.
- Now pour in some of the water and use it to scrape loose all the sticky bits on the bottom of the potjie. Once you’re satisfied with your efforts, add the rest of the water and mix it in.
- Heat the potjie to a simmer and close the lid. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and let it continue to simmer until half of the liquid has reduced and evaporated.
- Stir in the cream and let it continue to simmer until half of the liquid has reduced again. Practically speaking, let the potjie boil without the lid until you are happy with the consistency of the sauce.
- Remove the potjie from the fire and serve with basmati rice, yogurt and chopped cucumber, tomato and onion.
And…
This recipe also works well with chicken. Use a pack of 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks, pull off and discard their skins, drizzle with the lemon juice, and continue from step 2.
Steak with biltong cream sauce
Whilst visiting the Inyati rest camp in the Sabi Sands game reserve I prepared the recipe below on the braai. On that particular occasion the biltong and cream sauce was served with braaied Springbok fillet steaks, but you can just as successfully serve this sauce with normal beef steak. As I don’t have a particularly nice photo of the finished meal, I decided to rather post a picture of the lion cubs we saw later that day after having our meal of braaied Springbok steaks with biltong and cream sauce. The lions had Impala on the menu that day if I remember correctly, but again, posting a pic of their food is probably not family friendly either so here a pic of them having their after dinner drink.
Biltong and cream sauce – What you need
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tot butter
- 1 tot olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped, grated or blended biltong
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon beef stock (dry, not liquid stock)
- 1 cup fresh cream
Biltong and cream sauce – What to do
- Sauté the onion in the butter and oil for about 4 minutes.
- Add the biltong to the pan and let it sweat for a minute or 2.
- Add the salt & pepper and half of the cream and stir through.
- Sprinkle the beef stock over the contents of the pan and stir through.
- Add the rest of the cream, stir and let simmer whilst you braai the steaks until you are happy with the consistency of the sauce.
- Braai the steaks until medium rare and serve the sauce on the steak.
BEEF MADRAS CURRY
One of the best things about Britain is not British at all; it’s Indian. The Brits love their Indian curries and the Madras curry, named after the South Indian town with the same name (now called Chennai) is right up there. The dish has some distinctive flavour notes (as those wine-tasting people would say), which you’ll pick up if you make it with all the correct ingredients as listed below. Madras curry is traditionally very hot, so if the thought of a chilli makes you sweat, rather move along to something else or stay here for a delicious meal but leave out the chilli powder. The spices listed below are all things that should be standard items in your kitchen, so if you need to buy some don’t worry, they won’t go to waste – you’ll use them for many other recipes. This recipe was voted their favourite by participants of the 2014 National Braai Tour.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4–6)
- 2 tots vegetable oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1/2 tot cumin seeds (or aniseed – but not star anise)
- 1/2 tot ground coriander
- 1/2 tot chilli powder (optional)
- 1/2 tot paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tot garam masala
- 1 kg beef (boneless, cut into chunks)
- 1/2 tot salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tot crushed fresh ginger (or grated)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can coconut milk
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 punnet fresh coriander leaves (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil in a potjie over a medium-sized fire. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until it’s soft but not brown.
- Now the spices go in: cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, chilli powder (optional), paprika, turmeric and garam masala. Stir for a minute until it starts smelling irresistible. Right about now what I call the ‘word of nose’ phenomenon will kick in. Your neighbours will start calling to invite themselves over for dinner. Stay focused and look at the bottom of the potjie, which might seem very dry. Proceed immediately to the next step.
- Add the beef, salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to brown on all sides. The beef will release some juices. Use this to scrape away any sticky bits of spices at the bottom of the potjie. If you struggle, add a very small amount of water to help you.
- Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk and lemon juice. Bring to a very slight simmer, then cover and cook over a few coals (no flames) for 90 minutes until the meat is tender. Don’t confuse tender meat with a government tender. Tender meat is a good thing.
- Serve on rice with a yoghurt and cucumber sauce called raita and fresh coriander leaves.
AND … If your potjie is fairly small and the meat will not be able to brown properly all at the same time, do that in batches first, before you brown the onions. Then set the browned meat aside and simply add it back to the potjie in step 3.
Pork Chop Carbonara
What we have here is the recipe for my Braaied Pork Chop Carbonara. I obviously found inspiration for this one in the classic Italian pasta from Rome, the Bacon Carbonara. It is interesting to note that Carbonaro is the Italian word for Charcoal Burner. Now as we all know, there is one thing better than a charcoal burner, and that is a wood burner, otherwise known as a braai fire. The original recipe from Rome uses Italian bacon like guanciale or pancetta but to my mind a braaied South African pork chop is vastly superior in quality, taste and texture so what we have here is an improvement on the original recipe. The recipe works well with both fresh and dry pasta, but as egg is a core ingredient my personal feeling is that fresh pasta works better, so go for that if you can hold of it.
What you need (serves 4)
- 4 Pork loin chops (deboned) or 4 Pork Neck Chops
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 tot butter
- 1 tot Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 250 g mushrooms, sliced
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 125 ml Parmesan cheese, grated
- 250 ml fresh cream
- 400g – 500g Linguini or Spaghetti
- Extra Parmesan for garnish
- Fresh Parsley for garnish
What to do:
- Braai the pork chops over medium-hot coal for about 12 minutes until done. Pork chops should be braaied until medium, with an internal temperature of 71 °C. Season with salt and pepper before or during the braai.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Use fresh pasta if possible.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes, add the garlic and fry until the mushrooms are soft.
- Beat the eggs and properly mix that with the cream. Also mix the grated cheese with that.
- Remove the pasta from the heat when cooked and drain. Add the pasta to the same pot or pan as the mushrooms and pour over the mixture of beaten eggs, cream and cheese while the pasta is still hot and mix well. The heat of the pasta and mushrooms will cook the egg. This is a signature part of this dish.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Diagonally slice the pork chops into thin slivers and serve on top of the pasta. Garnish with extra parmesan and fresh parsley.
STEAK AND STOUT BEER POTJIE PIE
The Irish have their own version of National Braai Day, called St Patrick’s Day – the day their country comes to a standstill and has one big party. I’ve been to some St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin as part of my ongoing research and development of National Braai Day. Every single pub in Ireland serves a fantastic pie made with steak and stout. I’ve adapted their recipe to suit our local braai conditions. You make the pie filling in a potjie and you braai the pastry on a grid over the coals. Alternatively, just serve the awesome contents of your potjie on a bed of mash or with a piece of baguette bread!
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 kg steak (chuck is best, other- wise rump; cut into blocks of 2 cm × 2 cm)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tot cake flour
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 sticks celery (finely chopped)
- 1 tot chopped mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley; or use 1?2 tot dried mixed herbs)
- 1 can or bottle stout (about 400 ml)
- 250 g button mushrooms (halved)
- 1 packet puff pastry (400 g, completely thawed)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the olive oil in a large flat-bottomed potjie over a hot fire. Add the steak cubes, salt and pepper and stir. Shake in the flour, and then stir well to distribute the flour evenly over everything. The bottom of the pot will seem a bit dry, but don’t worry too much about it. Fry for about 5 minutes until the pieces of flour-coated meat turn golden brown.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery and herbs, then fry for another 5 minutes.
- Now pour in the stout. Stir to loosen any sticky bits on the bottom of the pot, and then bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, cover the pot, and then simmer over low heat for 1 hour. It is very important to keep the heat low. ‘Low heat’ means a few coals, and no flames of any significance under the pot.
- When the pie filling in the potjie is nearly ready (after about 1 hour of total cooking time), unroll the puff pastry from the packet. Now you have two options: either cut the pastry into the shape of the bowls you’re going to serve the pies in, or cut it into squares that you will put on top of the filling on plates or in bowls. Braai the pastry shapes in an oiled, closed hinged grid for about 20 minutes over very mild coals. Turn the grid often until the pastry is golden brown and crispy. Don’t braai them too fast, as there is a good chance they will burn if you do. The pastry will look like it is starting to ‘melt’ at first; don’t worry, it will soon firm up and become easier to handle if you just carefully turn it quite often. This part is optional, you can also just serve the filling on a bed of mash potatoes or with pieces of baguette bread.
- When the filling is ready, take the potjie off the fire and stir well. The liquid should be thick and glossy. If not, cook uncovered for a few minutes to let it reduce and thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve by dishing up the filling into bowls or onto plates and then put the braaied pieces of pastry on top of each of them. You could also serve the pies with mashed potatoes if you like.
AND … Although Guinness is the internationally famous example of stout, it’s by no means the only one. You can make this recipe just as effectively with a local favourite like Castle Milk Stout.
Citrus Flavoured Malva Pudding Potjie
This recipe is a adaption of my original malva pudding potjie recipe that appears in my 2nd book, Jan Braai – RedHot (Afrikaans edition called Jan Braai – Vuurwarm). The dough and baked part is identical to the original recipe but I’ve added some freshly squeezed satsuma juice (you can use satsuma, orange, naartjie or any of their family members) for a new take on the old classic.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6)
For the batter:
- 1 cup flour
- 1?2 tot bicarbonate of soda
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tot apricot jam
- 1 tot vinegar
- 1 tot melted butter
- 1 cup milk
For the sauce:
- 1?2 cup cream
- 1?2 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1?2 cup freshly squeezed juice
- 1?2 cup butter
WHAT TO DO
- Light the fire. You need fewer coals than when braaing steak, but you’ll need a steady supply of coals once the pudding is baking. Now use butter to grease your no. 10 flat- bottomed baking potjie. You can see a picture of this kind of potjie in the photo collage above.
- Sift the flour and the bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and stir in the sugar (you don’t need to sift the sugar).
- In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg very well. Now add the jam, vinegar, butter and milk, whisking well after adding each ingredient.
- Add the wet ingredients of step 3 to the dry ingredients of step 2 and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the potjie, put on the lid and bake for 50 minutes by placing some coals underneath the potjie and some coals on top of the lid. Don’t add too much heat, as burning is a big danger. There is no particular risk in having too little heat and taking up to 1 hour to get the baking done, so rather go too slow than too fast. During this time, you can add a few fresh hot coals to the bottom and top of the potjie whenever you feel the pudding is losing steam.
- When the pudding has been baking for about 40 minutes (about 10 minutes before it’s done), heat all the sauce ingredients in a small potjie over medium coals. Keep stirring to ensure that the butter is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved, but don’t let it boil.
- After about 50 minutes of baking, insert a skewer into the middle of the pudding to test whether it’s done. If the skewer comes out clean, it’s ready.
- Take the pudding off the fire and pour the sauce evenly over it. Believe me, it will absorb all the sauce – you just need to leave it standing for a few minutes. Serve the malva pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, a dollop of fresh cream or a puddle of vanilla custard. A good way to keep it hot is to put it near the fire, but not too close – after doing everything right, we don’t want it to burn now.
Braai lasagne potjie
After every braai, if there is any leftover meat, debone and skin the meat. then chop it up finely and add it to the container in your freezer that is specially placed there for this purpose. as soon as you have enough meat in that container, make the braai lasagne potjie. If you don’t have leftover meat, just fry 500g lean beef mince in the potjie as you start the process.
What you need (feeds 4–6)
- 12 lasagne sheets
- butter
For the bolognese sauce:
- 500 g finely chopped leftover braaied meat (any mixture of steak, chops, pork, chicken, boerewors). Failing this, just use 500g beef mince and fry in the potjie until lightly browned.
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 cup mix of grated carrots and finely chopped celery
- 1 tot butter
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tot tomato paste
- 1 tot oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
For the béchamel (white) sauce:
- 3 tots butter
- 3 tots flour
- 2 cups stock (vegetable, beef, chicken, etc., whatever you have on hand. Alternatively 1 cup stock and 1 cup milk)
- 1?2 cup cream
- 1?2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or aged cheddar, but then use more)
- 1?2 tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper
What to do
- Make the bolognese sauce: In the pot that you will bake the lasagne in, mix the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and fry gently in the butter until soft. Some light flames should give you the correct heat. If it boils too rapidly, remove the pot from the flames and heat it with a few coals. Add the meat, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir very well then simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring now and then. Keep the cooked sauce in another container until you need it for Step 3.
- Make the béchamel sauce: In a separate pot, melt the butter and use a wooden spoon to mix the flour completely into the melted butter. Now add the stock bit by bit while you continuously stir the mixture. When all the stock has been added, let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, Parmesan and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Make the lasagne: Fill the cast- iron pot with layers of bolognese sauce, pasta sheets and béchamel sauce. A flat-bottomed pot will result in a neater lasagne but any round- bottomed pot is also fine.
- Put the lid on the pot and bake the lasagne for about 50 minutes by placing the pot on a stand over coals and also putting a few coals on the lid of the pot. When all the pasta sheets are completely soft, the lasagne is ready.
Sesame Seed and Chilli Calamari
It was in a restaurant in Plettenberg Bay, after finishing a delicious a plate of calamari that I enquired of the waiter if she could please ask the chef for the recipe. The waiter came back a few minutes later and said no, it’s a secret. And so I set out to research recipes and secrets for grilled salt & pepper calamari, and I delved into the story behind the perfect sesame seed calamari. What follows below is not a replication of any specific recipe or technique, but rather the culmination and compilation of lots of little bits of information that was discovered.
What you need
- Good quality calamari. During my research a very famous South African chef told me that there is no secret to making great calamari that he knows of, the trick is simply to buy good quality in the first place. I have no pointers on this. Go to a fishmonger that you consider to be good and buy there. If it turns out rubbish, go to a different high end fishmonger the next time. The calamari I used was fresh, as in not frozen. As with most seafood I think fresh is alway better than frozen.
- Milk
- Cake Flour (1 cup)
- Sesami Seeds – Black and White (3 tots i.e 75ml)
- 5ml Salt
- 5ml Pepper
- 5ml Chilli Flakes
- Oli
- Mayonaise
- Wasabi
- Lemons
What to do
- Put the calamari in a bowl and add milk to just cover the calamari. Many sources claim that leaving calamari in milk prior to cooking it will tenderise the calamari, and make it less tough on the byte. I have no idea if this is true, but there is absolutely no harm in doing it, so on the off chance that it makes a difference, my advice is, if you have the time, let the calamari swim in milk for an hour. Then drain it and proceed to the next step.
- Mix the flour (one cup should be sufficient for the quantities of calamari you will make at home) with the sesame seeds, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. If you are the type of person that orders lemon and herb chicken at Portuguese restaurants, go easy on the chilli.
- Now toss pieces of calamari into a plastic bag with some of the seasoned flour and shake. This will give each piece of calamari a light dusting and cover of flavoured flour.
- Now you braai the calamari in oil in a pan over hot coals. It really only takes a minute of two for the calamari to be done, and you only need to turn each piece once.
- Serve with lemon wedges and wasabi mayonaise. To make wasabi mayonaise you mix mayonaise with a bit of wasabi.
Luxury Braaibroodjies
We were at The Lofts Boutique Hotel on Thesen Island in Knysna, feeling quite chuffed with life and the hotel management said it would not be a problem if we wanted to braai on the deck. The only question was, what to braai in such a decadent setting. Now earlier in the day we got a very nice sourdough bread from Il de Pain, the renowned bakery on Thesen Island, and I wanted to use that as part of the meal. So the decision fell on creating a few super luxurious braaibroodjies. Normal white toaster bread was replaced by slices of the world class Il de Pain sourdough bread, chutney was swopped for a mixture of French style mayonnaise and whole grain mustard. Onion was replaced by spring onion and tomato was replaced with sun-dried tomatoes. Naturally we needed cheese and the decision fell on 18 months matured cheddar. For team spirit I also added gypsy ham into each unit. Forget about butter on the outside, for these creations you use olive oil on the outside.
What you need
- Slices of fresh sourdough bread
- French style mayonaise
- Whole grain mustard
- Gypsy ham
- 18 months matured cheddar
- sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
- spring onions
- olive oil
- Go for a oval shape sourdough bread as opposed to a round one. This way all the slices will be the same size. Slice the bread fairly thin, the same thickness as normal toaster bread. One has a natural tendency to slice these types of bread thicker, so be conscious of avoiding that.
- Lay out half of the bread slices on a cutting board and liberally spread with the French style mayonaise and whole grain mustard.
- Add the gypsy ham, slices of cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and chopped spring onions. Do not be stingy with any of the ingredients, this is a super luxury braaibroodjie and not only should the quality of ingredients reflect it, but also the quantity.
- Add the top layers of bread and drip or spread olive oil on them.
- Place in a hinged grid (toeklaprooster) and braai over medium-low heat coals. After the first turn, also spread olive oil on the other outside, the side which was at the bottom when you assembled the units. Continue to braai over the gentle coals, turning very often, until the cheese is melted and the braaibroodjies are golden brown on the outside.
- It goes without saying that you serve these beauties with glasses of ice cold Methode Cap Classique. The South African – vastly superior – version of what the French call Champagne.
Steak with Smoked Mussel Sauce
So there we were in Mosselbaai (direct translation – Mussel Bay) on the South Coast of South Africa, the greatest country in the world. All set for a feast of mussels on the ‘Jan Braai vir Erfenis’ TV show. But as luck would have it, the sea was hit by a severe case of red-tide at the time, and we could not eat any fresh mussels due to the health hazzard. Now you cannot make a braai TV show in a town called Mussel Bay and not eat any mussels, so my attention turned to smoked mussels. And this is where we got lucky. The red-tide forced me to develop one of the greatest sauces ever to grace the presence of a medium rare braaied steak. My process started by looking at the intricacies of the classic Carpetbag steak, something described as “a luxury dish, probably of American derivation”. We went way beyond that.
What you need (serves 6)
- 6 steaks of about 300g each
- oil or butter
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 250g bacon (1 pack – diced into blocks or strips)
- 250g mushrooms (1 pack)
- 1 lemon
- 2 x 85g tins of smoked mussels (drained)
- 250ml fresh cream (1 cup)
- 50g – 100g pecorino or parmesan cheese (grated)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- Fry the chopped onion in the oil or butter until it starts to get personality and then add the crushed garlic and diced bacon. Sauté until it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another minute.
- Add the two tins of drained smoked mussels and gently toss. From here on in, go gentle so that the mussels to not break apart to much.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the sauce and gently toss.
- Mix in half a cup of the cream. As the sauce thickens later, you can mix in the other half of the cream as well.
- Add the grated cheese and gently toss. If you cannot get hold of pecorino, just use aged white cheddar.
- Test the sauce and add salt & pepper to taste.
- If the sauce is getting a but thick, add the rest of the cream.
- Keep the sauce warm.
- Braai the steaks over very hot coals for 7 – 10 minutes until medium rare. Here is a complete description on how to braai the perfect steak.
- Serve the smoked mussel sauce on the perfectly braaied steaks.
Chilli Con Carne
Chilli con carne works equally well for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Perfect for a surf trip, hunting trip or anywhere else you might want to serve a warm and spicy meal to a hungry crowd! The nice thing is that it actually improves after standing a few hours, so you could prepare it in your potjie, and then go into the sea or veld, and upon your return when everyone is cold and hungry, you can just warm it up and bask in the glory. Don’t be put off by the fairly long list of ingredients – the method makes up for it as it’s very straightforward. Serve it as is or with a piece of bread.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
- 1 red pepper (seeds and stalks removed, then chopped)
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 1 carrot (grated)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tot tomato paste (or 1 50 g sachet)
- 1 can borlotti beans (drained and rinsed under cold water)
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed under cold water)
- 1 tot vinegar
- 1/2 tot sugar
- 1/2 tot salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup sour cream (250 ml tub, to serve)
- fresh coriander leaves (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil in a potjie over a hot fire. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper and fry for 5–10 minutes until the onions are soft and the edges start to turn a bit brown.
- Tip in the mince, stir and break up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Fry for about 10 minutes until the beef starts to ‘catch’ on the bottom of the pan, taking care not to let it burn.
- Add the carrot, paprika, cumin, chilli powder and coriander, and stir well.
- To this, throw in the tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chickpeas, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and then stir well.
- Bring the mixture to the boil, then cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
- Remove from the fire and serve with a dollop (ja, I know, I don’t like the word ‘dollop’ either, but the editor insisted that it’s the best way to describe it; so there you go, ‘dollop’ made it into the final draft of my book) of sour cream and some fresh coriander leaves. Alternatively, you could take the potjie off the fire, let it rest somewhere with the lid on, and reheat it a few hours later before serving.
AND …
If you’re planning to prepare this meal when you’re on the road, don’t pack all the bottles and packs of spices. Just measure them out at home and throw them together in one small bag or container.
Recipe & photo copyright: JanBraai
Paella on the Braai
Catering and kitchen shops sell a type of fireproof steel pan that is perfect for the preparation of this dish, so perfect in fact that this pan is widely referred to as a ‘paella pan’. Paella actually means ‘pan’ and this is where the name of the dish comes from. Failing that, any normal cast iron pot also does the job.
What you need (feeds 8 great people)
Please note that as with most dishes cooked on a braai, paella ingredients are not exact. Take these ingredients as a guideline.
- 8 chicken pieces (thighs and/or drumsticks)
- 2 kg shellfish (in the shell – like black mussels and prawns. If you’re using just meat without shells, 1 kg is sufficient)
- 500 g fresh fish fillets (cut into blocks)
- 250 g spicy cured sausages (sliced or chopped – like chorizo or pepperoni)
- 2 tots olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 peppers (chopped – green, red or yellow)
- 2 cups rice (uncooked)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed or chopped)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 4 tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 cups fish, chicken or vegetable stock (3 cups is 750 ml which is also the size of a wine bottle)
- 1/2 cup black olives (pitted)
- 250 g peas (they come in frozen packets of this size)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tot parsley (chopped)
- salt and pepper
- lemon wedges
What to do
- In a large pan on the fire, fry the onions and peppers in the oil for 3 minutes. Your coals should be just hot enough to actually fry the onion. As the steel of the pan is much thinner than a cast iron pot, it will be a bit more sensitive to heat.
- Add the rice and mix well. All the rice should be thinly coated with oil. If this is not the case, add a bit more oil. Fry the rice for a few minutes until it turns pale golden in colour. Now add the garlic, paprika, turmeric, chilli powder and chopped tomatoes and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add the stock and cover the pan with a lid or with tinfoil. The rice should now cook until soft, which will take about 35 minutes in total.
- Slightly reduce the heat under the pan by scraping away some coals. You are allowed to lift the lid now and again to stir the rice, and to monitor that it is not burning. Should everything seem a bit quiet, scrape a few extra coals back under the pan.
- After 20 of those 35 minutes, add the seafood, spicy sausage, olives and peas to the pan. Stir it in and cover the pan again. The seafood will cook in these last 15 minutes. Monitor your liquid level and add the wine if the pan becomes dry. If the wine is in and the pan still dry, start adding small amounts of water. On the side, and timing it to be ready with the rest of the dish, braai the chicken pieces in a grid over coals. This will take about 20–25 minutes.
- When the rice is soft, sample the dish and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange the chicken pieces on top, garnish with parsley and lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
How to braai venison – Hoe om wildsvleis te braai
This is my go to marinade and recipe for braaing venison. Whether it’s Springbok, Kudu, Gemsbok or anything else. Works very well with the sirloins (rugstringe) or with deboned leg.
Ingredients:
- 2 kg deboned venison meat
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tot parsley
- 1 tot lemon juice
- 1 tot balsamic
- 1 tot soy sauce
- 1 tot brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 medium sized chopped onion
- A few lengthwise-sliced cloves of garlic.
- A few sprigs of rosemary
Method
Make small incisions in the meat and stuff the garlic and rosemary into these holes. Alternatively, just add the garlic and rosemary to the marinade. Place meat in a plastic bag and arrange onion pieces to cover all sides. Add marinade; push out most of the excess air and seal bag (a tight knot is sufficient). Place bag in fridge for 12 – 48 hours and turn every few hours if you find that the top part of the meat is not covered by marinade. Remove, shake off excess marinade and braai over medium to hot coals until just shy of medium. Rest the meat a few minutes before slicing. Slice across the grain, always.
Additional Advice
If you have more than 2kg of meat then increase all the marinade ingredients proportionally until the meat in the bag is covered by marinade on all sides. Be cautious with rosemary, it has a distinct taste and is hated by many. If you can taste the rosemary in a meal, you added too much. This recipe also works very well with a deboned leg of lamb.
Beef trinchado potjie
Apart from being the first tourists to dock a ship at Mossel Bay, the Portuguese are also famous for a few culinary achievements. One of their best is the rich garlic and chilli-flavoured beef stew known as trinchado. Theoretically, the quantity of ingredients in this recipe means that you can serve 8 people, but in my experience it’s one of those meals that are just too good, which means everyone wants second helpings.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 6–8)
- 2 kg steak cubes (I use a combination of rib-eye and rump, cut into 4 cm cubes)
- 2 tots soy sauce
- 2 tots olive oil
- 2 tots butter
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 10 garlic cloves (crushed or chopped)
- 1/2 tot cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1/2 cup brandy (no, not a typing error)
- 1/2 cup red wine (no, not a typing error)
- 1/2 tot salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- a big handful of pitted black
- olives (this is not an exact science)
- 1 cup cream (250 ml tub)
- grated rind of a small lemon
WHAT TO DO
- Pour the soy sauce over the steak cubes. Now you need to fry the meat to seal in the juices and you’ll have to do this in batches. Generate some proper heat in your potjie by placing flames directly under it. Then add a tot of oil and a tot of butter and fry about one-third of the meat, or as much as fits in the bottom of the potjie. You could of course fry all of the meat at once if your potjie is big enough. Take the cubes out and keep to one side. Add another tot of oil and butter and fry the next third. By the time you get to the last batch of steak cubes there will be enough oil and fat left in the potjie.
- When the last batch of meat is browned, put back all the other meat into the potjie, unless you fried it all at once. Add the onions, garlic, cayenne pepper and bay leaves; then fry for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Pour in the beef stock, brandy, wine, salt and pepper. Heat until the sauce starts to simmer, then cover with a lid and continue to gently simmer for 1 hour until the meat is very tender.
- Remove the lid and stir in the olives, cream and lemon rind. Bring to the boil and then cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce starts to get thicker.
- Remove from the fire and let it stand for a few minutes before serving. The generous amount of sauce is part of this meal and should be enjoyed with the meat, so serve trinchado in bowls and eat the sauce with spoons when necessary.
AND …
I know it sounds like a bit of a mission to grate lemon rind, but in some instances you really have to do it, this being one of those cases. Grating the rind of a lemon is really not a challenging job; it smells nice and it’ll make you look like the type of expert who reads this book. It adds a unique flavour to this dish that would just not be the same without it.
tailor-made braai salt
At some stage during your ascendancy to the braai throne in your backyard, you will want to start mixing your own tailor-made braai salt. This might happen on one of those days when Bafana, the Springboks and the Proteas play on the same day and you are tired of eating meat flavoured with the same commercially bought spice for the seventh time; or it might happen right now. Use the recipe and ingredients listed below as a broad guideline rather than as an exact list. View it as a point of departure on your journey. Play around with the quantities, leave something out, add something else. To state the blatantly obvious, if you add more of something, the mixture will have a stronger taste of that, and if you add less, it will taste less of that. Normal supermarkets sell all of these spices in ground format, which makes mixing them easier but if you can’t find something, go to a speciality spice shop.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes almost 1/2 cup of braai spice)
- 1 tot salt (I like to use high-quality salt flakes and then crush them.)
- 1/2 tot ground black pepper
- 1/2 tot paprika
- 1/2 tot crushed garlic powder
- 1/2 tot ground coriander
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice (pimento)
- If some of the ingredients are too big or coarse, solve the problem by taking them for a spin in your coffee grinder or give them some love in your pestle and mortar.
- Put all the ingredients in a glass jar, then close the lid and shake it well. Use as needed to season steak, chops or chicken. The salt mix also works very well as a dry rub on large meat cuts like beef brisket or pork belly.
- Over time you might develop more than one mixture for different meats. For chicken you might want to drop the cloves and the nutmeg and add an item like parsley.
- Perhaps your pork spice will also have some mustard powder in it, for example. But then you would have to kick out one of the other ingredients, as there are already ten, which is a nice round number. Who wants his own tailor-made braai salt with eleven ingredients?
The creative process does not stop at choosing the ingredients. You might also want to spend some time or money on choosing a nice glass container or stainless steel shaker to keep your tailor-made braai salt in.
Beef Burger with bacon and a cheese sauce
For the cheese sauce:
- 2 tots butter
- 2 tots cake flour
- 2 cups milk (full cream, obviously)
- 1 tot Dijon mustard
- at least 1 cup grated mature cheese (1 cup of grated cheese is
- about 100 g, but err on the side of extravagance – I use a mixture of
- Cheddar, Parmesan and whatever else happens to be in my fridge)
- salt and black pepper to taste (not all cheese has the same salt content)
For the burgers:
- 1 kg good-quality beef mince
- 1 tot olive oil
- salt and pepper (optional)
- 1 packet smoked streaky bacon (200–250 g)
- 6 hamburger rolls (sliced open and buttered on the insides)
- lettuce leaves (washed and drained)
- 2 large tomatoes (sliced)
WHAT TO DO
Make the cheese sauce:
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat and then add the flour. Stir until the flour is mixed smoothly with the butter, and then cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time.
- Pour in the milk bit by bit while stirring vigorously to incorporate it completely and make a smooth sauce. A wooden spoon should work fine, but if you struggle, use a metal hand whisk. Never leave the sauce unattended; believe me, I speak from experience. If at any time you feel you’re losing control, decrease the amount of heat reaching the pot and first fully combine everything already in the pot before adding more milk.
- As soon as all the milk has been incorporated, toss in the mustard and cheese. Stir well until the cheese has melted.
- Take the pot off the heat and test for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if the sauce needs it. Some cheeses are very salty already and the sauce will only need a decent grinding of black pepper. Keep the sauce aside until the burgers are ready. Reheat and stir just before pouring it over the burgers – and don’t worry about that ‘skin’ forming on top of the sauce, for it stirs away. Alternatively, make the sauce while braaing the patties.
Make the burgers:
- Divide the mince into 6 balls, then use your clean wet hands to shape them into patties. Always flatten them a little more than you think, because they will shrink and thicken in the middle during the braai. Brush them with olive oil on both sides.
- Put the patties on an open grid and season the top with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then carefully (yet confidently) flip them over with a metal spatula. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side – 10 minutes in total. To be clear, you only turn the patties once on the braai. Every time you turn them, there is a risk of breaking them. Don’t fiddle with the patties while they are on the braai, because it only makes you look like a beginner.
- While you’re braaing the patties, also braai the bacon until crispy. You can do this in a pan, or you can lay the rashers out on the braai grid, and also only turn them once. Take care not to drop any bacon through the grid onto the coals.
- Put the sliced rolls buttered side down on the grid, then toast until they are golden brown. Take them off the fire. Don’t burn the rolls; it happens easily.
- To assemble the burgers: Put a piece of lettuce and 2 slices of tomato on the bottom half of the roll. The strips of crispy bacon go on next, then the braaied patty. Top it off with a generous helping of warm cheese sauce.
fillet with red wine sauce
It’s a well-recognised fact that braaied steak goes well with red wine. What is further undisputed is that a steak braaied over the coals of an open wood fire has a unique, rather good taste. What we’re doing here is combining these universally accepted truths to create something that is, dare I say it, beautiful!
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4)
- 1 kg fillet steak (or slightly bigger)
- 1 tot butter
- 1/2 onion (chopped as finely as you can)
- 1 clove garlic (chopped very finely)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 tot flour
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 2 tots sugar
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional – to taste)
WHAT TO DO
- Light a relatively big fire using your favourite braai wood.
- Remove the steak from its packaging. Rinse it under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen towels. Cut it into four equally sized portions and then season them well with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy with the pepper. Cover the steak to keep it safe from flies and proceed to the next step.
- Place a medium-sized flameproof pan or potjie over the fire. You want a pretty high heat but it must not be searing hot, so just use some of the burning logs under the potjie, not all of them.
- Melt the butter and then fry the onions, garlic and thyme leaves for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and starts to turn brown. If you’re a regular user of this book and are tuned in to the finer things in life, fry the onions first and add the garlic about 1 minute before the next step.
- Add the flour and stir well, then immediately add the red wine, stock, sugar and vinegar. Mix well, bring to the boil and then boil over high heat to reduce the liquid by half. Stir often. Depending on the size of your pot and the heat of your fire, this should take 15 minutes, but it could be slightly longer or slightly shorter. While the liquid is reducing, it should thicken and become a rich sauce. Taste the sauce at this point and season with salt and pepper. Keep in mind that some beef stocks are already quite salty, so you might not need salt at all. When you’re happy with the texture of the sauce, remove from the fire.
- While you’re waiting for the sauce to reduce in step 5, braai the steaks over very high heat for about 8–10 minutes. Braai them on all four or six sides. That’s right, when you slice a 1 kg fillet steak into 4 pieces the shape of the fillet steaks can have four or six sides.
- Serve the steaks on warm plates and pour the red wine sauce over them.
AND …
The truth of the matter is that you could serve this sauce with any other cut of beautifully braaied steak. Personally, I’m quite attached to serving it with fillet because although fillet is so wonderfully tender, the sauce gives it that little kick of extra flavour it needs.
Recipe & photo copyright: JanBraai
Bunny chow
Culinary-wise, and I don’t mean this in a negative way, the bunny chow is probably the single biggest contribution Durban in KwaZulu-Natal has made to South African society. The bunny chow is essentially curry served in a hollowed-out piece of bread loaf, and I like to use a curry made with boneless meat for it. Although not quite Upington in the middle of summer, this curry is quite hot, so be ready for that. If you want it mild, use less chilli powder and if you’re a hardened Durban curry eater, use more.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes 4 quarter-loaf bunnies)
- 2 tots oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tot masala (hot curry powder)
- 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 500 g boneless lamb (or mutton, cut into cubes or strips)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
- 1 tot fresh ginger (finely chopped or grated)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 2 potatoes (cut into small cubes)
- 2 carrots (cut into slices)
- 1/2 tot sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 loaf fresh white bread (you need absolutely stock-standard normal white bread, and you need it unsliced so that it can be cut to specification)
- 2 fresh tomatoes (chopped, to serve)
- 1 punnet coriander leaves (to serve)
WHAT TO DO
- Heat the oil in a potjie over a medium-hot fire and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until it becomes soft. Then add the masala and (optional) chilli powder and fry for 1–2 minutes until the pan becomes sticky. If at any stage during step 1 or 2 you have too much heat in the potjie and things start to burn (in a black way, not a chilli way), add a very little bit of water as a counter-attack – but only do this if it’s really necessary. We need the flavour to develop by means of getting a bit sticky at the bottom of the potjie.
- Add the meat, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
- Throw in the tinned tomatoes, chopped potatoes and carrots, sugar, salt and pepper, then stir, scraping the bottom of the potjie with your spoon to loosen any and all sticky bits.
- Cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low coals for about 30 minutes, stirring now and again so that the bottom of the potjie doesn’t burn. If no amount of stirring is going to stop the dish from burning, it means your potjie is too dry. Add a bit of water to rectify this but go easy. You’re making curry, not soup.
- After 30 minutes, take off the lid and stick a fork into the potatoes to make sure they’re cooked through. As soon as the potatoes are soft, the meal is essentially ready. Cook uncovered for a few minutes to allow the sauce to become a thick gravy. As soon as this happens the curry is ready, so take the potjie off the fire. Taste and adjust with a bit of extra salt if it needs it.
- Cut the loaf of bread into quarters and then scoop or cut out the centres of each quarter loaf, essentially creating a ‘bowl’ of bread for the curry. You’re basically creating four bowls of bread. Fill the hole of each quarter loaf with the curry and sauce. Serve the scooped out bread centre and a salad of tomato and fresh coriander leaves on the side.
Recipe & photo copyright: JanBraai
Shish Kebabs
Shish kebabs are a Turkish version of what we generally call sosaties. The Turks love to skewer spicy marinated meat with tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms, and I reckon they’re on the money. Let the meat marinate overnight to allow the flavours to develop to their full potential, and for the meat to absorb them properly.
WHAT YOU NEED (makes 6–8 kebabs)
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tot ground cumin
- 1/2 tot ground paprika
- 1/2 tot ground coriander
- 1/2 tot dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the kebabs:
- 1 kg steak (rump, sirloin, rib-eye or fillet, cut into 3 cm by 3 cm cubes) or 1kg lamb meat
- 2 onions (cut into large chunks, with layers separated)
- 2 peppers (green, yellow or red – seeds and stalks removed, and cut into square chunks)
- 250 g small button mushrooms (whole)
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
WHAT TO DO
- Throw all the ingredients for the marinade together in a marinating bowl and mix well. Toss the beef cubes into the mix and stir until all the pieces are coated in marinade. Cover the bowl and marinate for at least 3 hours (on your counter or somewhere in the shade), but preferably overnight. Whenever you feel like it, you can visit the meat and stir it around before putting it back in the fridge.
- Around the time that you’re lighting the fire for your braai, remove the marinated meat from the fridge and wash your hands for the assembling process. Skewer the beef cubes by alternating with pieces of onion, peppers, whole mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, packing them tightly together. Brush the assembled kebabs with any leftover marinade.
- Braai the kebabs for about 8 minutes over hot coals. The kebabs can be quite fragile, so braaing them in a hinged grid that you close gently is the way to go.
Lamb Rogan Josh
This is a superb curry with a rich and exotic flavour. Amazingly all the spices you need are available at normal South African supermarkets. Each ingredient serves a purpose in creating the aromatic end product. Take a deep breath and just follow the steps – this is one of the easier yet more impressive potjies you will make in your life; the meat doesn’t even need to cook off the bone, as you’re starting with deboned meat.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4)
- 2 tots vegetable oil
- 1 kg boneless lamb meat (cubed – cut a leg or shoulder into cubes; alternatively I just buy enough leg chops, cut them into blocks and discard the bones)
- 2 onions (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 6 whole black peppercorns
- 6 whole cloves (the spice, not garlic)
- 6 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
- fresh ginger (crushed or chopped, equal in volume to the garlic)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tot paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1/2 cup water
- fresh coriander leaves (for garnish)
WHAT TO DO
Heat the oil in a potjie on the fire. Add the meat cubes in batches and fry them over high heat for a few minutes until they get a nice brown colour. You will probably need two batches. Take them out of the pot and keep on a plate out of the way of dogs or hyenas. We will put the meat back in the pot later. Leave any fat or juices in the pot for the next step.
In the same pot, add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, peppercorns and cloves, and fry for about 1 minute. Right about now you will smell some great things happening in the pot as the heat starts to release fragrances from the spices.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for another minute, then add the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir these in well. The mixture might be fairly dry at this point, which means things could burn, so don’t have big flames under the pot. It also means you should move along quickly to the next step.
Put the lamb (and any juices that gathered with it on the plate) back into the potjie – it should moisten up the dry bottom. Stir right to the bottom and loosen any sticky bits with the spoon. If you’re struggling, you can add a very small amount of water to help you scrape loose everything sticking to the bottom of the pot. As soon as you’re done go to the next step.
Add the yoghurt while stirring continuously to mix it well into the dish.
Cook for 1–3 minutes, then add the water, and stir until you have a sauce as smooth as the Protea cricket players. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and gently simmer over low heat for about an hour until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced to form a rich gravy. If your fire is too hot, the gravy will reduce too quickly and become a burnt paste, which would be a tragedy. Watch the heat carefully and stir a few drops more water into the pot if really necessary.
Take the pot off the fire and serve with basmati rice (see page182) and some fresh coriander leaves.
AND …
Cardamom pods are like referees in rugby matches. Without them the meal cannot exist, but they are not particularly pleasant things to encounter. They are at their best if you don’t actually notice that they’re there. If you spot one in the finished product, pick it out and throw it away. It has served its purpose of adding flavour to the meal.
shepherd’s pie recipe
The big difference between shepherd’s and cottage pie is that shepherd’s pie is made with lamb or mutton, whereas cottage pie is made with beef. It’s a technical thing but this is a technical braai website. Logic dictates that you are free to use beef instead of lamb for this recipe, but just remember to refer to the dish as cottage pie then. For the best results use leftover braaied lamb or beef or a mix of the two. In the latter case it’s called a ‘shepherd’s cottage pie’ and it has a bit of a personality disorder, but it still tastes great. This recipe is from my second book ‘JanBraai – Red Hot’ (JanBraai – Vuurwarm) which launches in August 2013. It is the recipe as seen on Episode 2, Series 3 of ‘Jan Braai vir Erfenis’ on kykNET.
For the meat filling:
- 1 tot butter
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped or grated)
- celery equal in volume to the carrots (chopped)
- 1 tot cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups warm beef or mutton stock
- 500 g braaied lamb meat (de-boned, trimmed of excess fat, and chopped; about 3 cups of chopped lamb meat)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tot chopped parsley
For the mashed potato topping:
- 4 large potatoes
- enough water for boiling the potatoes in
- 1 tot butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- salt and pepper
WHAT TO DO
- In a flat-bottomed cast-iron potjie on the fire, fry the onion, carrots and celery in the butter for about 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the cake flour and stir in before adding the warm meat stock and stirring that in.
- Now add the meat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and parsley. Put the lid partially on the potjie (leaving a gap) and simmer gently until the sauce thickens. This can take about 45 minutes but the time will vary widely depending on a number of factors, among them how hot your fire is. During this time, do steps 4 and 5.
- Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water in a separate pot for about 30 minutes until they are tender. A teaspoon of salt is enough to make the water ‘salted’. I really don’t like peeling potatoes, and thus I usually don’t. If you don’t want to peel them either, then don’t, but at least feel guilty about it.
- When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and use a potato masher to do the job it’s made for. Add butter and milk to the mashed potatoes, then season with salt and black pepper and mix well. The texture should be smooth and fluffy.
- Back to the potjie of meat on the fire: When the sauce has thickened, take off the lid and top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes from step 5, spreading the mash into a fairly even layer to cover the surface. It’s entirely acceptable if the top surface of the mash is a bit rough and not completely smooth. In fact, it’s considered stylish.
- Put the lid on the potjie and put lots of hot coals onto the lid. At this stage you don’t want any heat under the pot anymore. Now bake the shepherd’s pie in the potjie like that for the next 20–30 minutes until the top layer becomes slightly golden brown from the hot coals on the lid. You will obviously have to take off the lid to see whether this has happened. Don’t let any ash fall into the potjie, as it won’t add the kind of flavour you’re looking for here. At this point the meal is ready to be enjoyed immediately.
AND …
If you don’t have any leftover braaied meat but still want to enjoy this pie, you can successfully substitute the braaied meat with 500 g fresh beef mince bought at a butcher or supermarket. Add your mince after step 1, then fry it for 5–8 minutes until it is nicely brown. Then continue with step 2 where you add the flour and stock, and follow the rest of the recipe (just ignore the part where you would ‘add the meat’ in step 3). It is not advisable to add uncooked mince to the potjie after the stock has been added, as the mince will then boil instead of fry, and the meal won’t taste very nice.
Recipe & photo copyright: JanBraai
Chicken Burger Recipe
The thing to do with chicken breasts is braai them and make chicken burgers. You obviously need the breasts to be skinned and deboned; these are also known as chicken breast fillets. The typical chicken breast fillet is a bit lopsided with a bulky part and a thin point, so put the breast fillet on a chopping board and give it a few gentle whacks on the thick part with a meat tenderising mallet before the braai. This will make it uniform in thickness, which makes for easier braaing and will soften the meat for biting through when it’s on the burger. If you hit it too much, it will disintegrate, and you will be left with chicken mince. You don’t want that so do be gentle with the mallet. This is stating the obvious, but a chicken burger contains meat, salad, dairy and starch, so it really is a balanced meal all on its own.
What you need (per burger)
- 1 chicken breast
- salt and pepper (or braai salt)
- olive oil
- 1 hamburger roll
- 2 slices of tomato
- 1 lettuce leaf
- cheese
- mayonnaise
- peri-peri sauce
What to do
- Place each chicken breast fillet flat on a chopping board and lightly pound the thick side with a meat mallet, wine bottle, rolling pin, side of a meat cleaver or any other item of sufficient weight and size. You want the whole fillet more uniform in thickness and this step will make the meat easier to braai, better looking on your burger and softer to bite.
- Spice each chicken fillet with salt and pepper or your favourite braai salt. Either brush each one with oil or simply pour a bit of oil into the bowl with them and toss the fillets around until all are coated.
- Braai the meat for about 6–10 minutes until it is done. The nice thing about chicken breast fillets is that you can actually see the meat colour changing from raw to ready on the braai.
- Assemble the burger: Buttered roll, chicken breast, cheese, peri-peri sauce, mayonnaise, tomato and lettuce leaf. When assembling burgers I always like to place the cheese right next to the patty so that the heat of the meat can melt the cheese.
How to make potato wedges (as seen on photo with burger)
Parboil potatoes in salted water until just soft, but not too soft: a fork should just be able to go in – this will take about 20 minutes. Drain very well, i.e. get all the water off. Cut into wedges, toss around in olive oil, and generously sprinkle the wedges with coarse sea salt. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 200C until brown and crispy – this will take about 25 minutes. Serve with your chicken burgers.
Recipe & photo copyright: JanBraai
Glühwein Recipe
Glühwein originates in Germany but is also very popular in Austria, which is not surprising as Austria is essentially like a holiday province of Germany if we have to be honest. Glühwein is served in the snow on ski slopes, in mountain huts and at European Christmas markets. Always drink Glühwein hot, and you’ll enjoy it best when the temperature around you is very low, for example around a campfire in the Kalahari or Karoo, while you’re freezing your backside off.
WHAT YOU NEED (serves 4)
- 1 bottle red wine
- rind of 1 orange (peeled off with a vegetable peeler)
- rind of 1 lemon (peeled off with a vegetable peeler)
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
- 2 cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 1/2 cup sugar
WHAT TO DO
- Mix all the ingredients in an old-school camp kettle or flameproof pot, then put it over a medium-hot fire and bring to a slow simmer.
- Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat (slowly) for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved completely. Let it stand for 15 minutes near the fire (perhaps with a few coals under it) so that the drink can stay hot, but is not boiling too rapidly.
- Strain through a sieve into mugs and throw away the rind and spices. Always serve hot.
AND …
In Europe, it is not uncommon to add an extra shot of brandy or rum to each mug of Glühwein when you’re really freezing. You might, for example, be really cold if you’ve spent the whole afternoon hunting Springbok in the glacial conditions of the winter’s Karoo veld. Then it’s better to wait for the Glühwein until your rifle is packed away though.
Curry Lamb Chops
The ingredients of this marinade and the long marinating time mean you can use slightly tougher lamb chops like leg, chump and thick rib to make this recipe. After two to three days in the marinade the meat will be amazingly tender and full of flavour.
What you need (feeds 6–8)
- 2– 2,5 kg lamb chops (I prefer leg but chump or thick rib also work well)
- 2 tots oil or butter
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- peeled and grated ginger (equal to the garlic in volume)
- 2 tots curry powder
- ½ tot turmeric
- ½ tot salt
- 2 cups brown vinegar
- 1 × 450 g tin fine or smooth apricot jam
- 4 bay leaves (torn)
What to do
- Fry the onions in the oil for about 4 minutes until they are soft and golden but not brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar, jam and salt and heat until boiling.
- Remove from the heat and let the marinade cool down to room temperature. This takes a few hours.
- Place the chops in a marinating bowl, add the torn bay leaves and pour the cooled-down marinade over the meat. Stir thoroughly ensuring all sides of the chops are in contact with marinade. Cover the bowl.
- Marinate for at least 24 hours, two or three days is better. Turn the chops every 8–12 hours during this time.
- Braai for about 8–10 minutes on hot coals and serve with brandy and coke.
And…
Giving the meat three days in the marinade is the way to go – so if you have the time, don’t settle for 24 hours.
Easter on the braai
I always think that Easter Weekend is when the weather really changes. Summer is officially over come Monday. Terrifying. So while there is still little bit of summer left everything should be cooked on the braai and since chocolate is synonymous with Easter, why not combine the two! This is a fun activity for the whole family.
Ingredients
One big pack of marshmallows
3 Bar-One Chocolates
500ml cold milk
Bamboo skewers
Method
- Add the milk and chocolates to a medium to small sized cast iron pot and place that pot over medium heat.
- As the pot heats up, the milk and chocolate should heat up together and the chocolate will melt. Stir continuously until you have one smooth chocolate sauce.
- Remove the pot from the fire. As the pot is made from cast iron it will keep its heat and the chocolate sauce will stay warm for a while.
- Put marshmallows on skewers, dip them in the chocolate sauce and enjoy.
- Encourage your kids to braai some of the skewered marshmallows by holding it over the flames or coals. Braaing marshmallows will teach your kids the fundamental principles of braaing chicken. Gentle heat and turn often; a skin that can easily burn before the inside is done.
Braai Bread: The Vuurvarkie Recipe
A while ago we posted the details of the Vuurvarkie on our Facebook page and the response was overwhelming. I have since tracked down the bread recipe used in the picture. Even though this recipe is for the Vuurvarkie, it works just as well in a normal black pot.
Ingredients:
500g White Eureka Unbleached Stone Ground Flour
15ml Yeast
325ml – 340ml Water
10ml Salt
5ml Sugar (optional)
Put the flour, salt and yeast into a large mixing bowl and mix.
Make a well in the centre of the heap and gradually mix in 325ml warm water until the dough comes together. If it seems dry add some more water.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface such as a cutting board – for 5 minutes until it has a smooth texture. Shape the dough like a rugby ball (!!!) and put it into an oiled baking pan and then set it aside to rise for about 40min in a warm place. It should double in size in this time. When it has risen make deep slashes on the top of the dough with a sharp knife and dust with flour.
In the mean time preheat your Vuurvarkie for 30-40minutes. Bake for 40-45min, until golden and cooked through. To test if it is done tap the base of the loaf, if it is ready it will make a hollow sound. Remember not to put too many coals on top of the Vuurvarkie.
Kneading and Proving tips
Knead the dough for at least 5minutes, even up to 10 minutes if you can! This will produce a lighter more airy loaf.
If the dough needs to rise twice put it into an oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled cling film then leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This takes anywhere between 30minutes and 2 hours, depending on the temperature and the amount of dough. An airing cupboard speeds this up.
Punch the risen dough to “knock” out the air. Knead again for a few minutes, adding any other ingredients at this stage. Shape and put onto an oiled baking sheet or in a loaf tin. Cover and leave to rise until it has doubled in size. Check up after about 30minutes. Over-proving may cause the bread to collapse in the oven.
Summer holiday Braai ideas
Here are a few delicious and colourful recipes to make on your summer holiday.
- Chicken, Feta and Sundried Tomato burger
- Grilled Salmon Tacos
- Kaapse Snoek
- Pizza
- Prawn kebabs
- Basted Mushrooms
- Fish wrapped in newspaper
- Greek lamb skewers / Souvlaki
- Springbok Carpaccio with Tataki sauce
- Garlic, Cheese and Peppadew bread
These recipes have all been covered on the website so just click on the dish and the link will take you to the recipe.
Prawn skewers on the braai
This is a fantastic summer recipe and serves well as an appetizer or with tapas.
Ingredients:
750g King Prawns, deveined with tails still intact
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
50 ml olive oil
15 ml Lemon juice
Sea salt and coarse pepper
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
Aioli:
Mix 100ml mayonnaise with 30ml sweet chilli sauce. Adjust measurements to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Method:
Mix the ingredients together in a non-metallic marinating bowl. Add the prawns and make sure that they are covered with the marinade. Cover with cling wrap and put the marinating prawns in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Thread marinated prawns on skewers and braai on high heat for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until prawns turn pink and are cooked through. If you are using bamboo skewers, make sure that they are soaked beforehand so that they don’t ignite on the braai.
Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa on the Braai
To see how to prepare the perfect salmon on the braai click here. When you are done, break the salmon into small pieces with a fork and put it on your heated taco with Avocado Salsa. It is simple and colourful. Making the taco’s is also easy: Buy wraps from your local supermarket and let them hang over your oven tray in a folded over position. Bake them for 4-5 minutes on 150°C.
Avocado Salsa:
2 Ripe avocados
1 Large tomato
Sea Salt
Ground pepper
Juice of 1 Lime (lemon if you can’t find limes)
1 Jalapeno chopped (any other chilli is also fine)
1 Medium red onion
A few fresh coriander leaves
Chop the red onion, the tomato and the avo into cubes of about the same size – as big as your pinkie nail should be about right. Put all the ingredients into a bowl and add the chopped coriander and the lime juice. Add salt, pepper and chilli to taste. You can also add more lime juice if you like. Serve with Creme Fraiche.
Lamb Skewers on the Braai: Greek Souvlaki
Souvlaki is my favourite dish from Greece and it is a wonderful dish for summer. It can serve as an appetizer or main course and you can make them from any meat or vegetable combination. I prefer lamb.
It is also very healthy and a fantastic addition to your diet menu. Souvlaki is easy to prepare. The lamb should be served pink, so don’t worry about under-cooking.
Ingredients:
1kg lamb shoulder
12 sprigs thyme
8 Oregano leaves
4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
2 lemons’ zest
2 Lemons’ juice
200ml Olive Oil
50ml Red wine
Paprika
Cut the meat into cubes and trim off excess fat. Put the cubes in a bowl and add the herbs, garlic, lemon zest, half the olive oil, red wine and some salt and pepper. Mix it well so that all the meat gets covered. Cover with Glad wrap and put it in the fridge for at least two hours, overnight if you can.
If you are using wooden skewers let them soak in water for a little while so that the wood doesn’t burn when you braai. I love using rosemary twigs as skewers, so if you have them in your garden, try it and let me know what you think.
Before putting it on the braai, add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil and mix well. Put the meat on the skewers and brush with the marinade while on the braai. Cook them however you prefer to cook your lamb and sprinkle with paprika before serving.
I would suggest preparing the tzatziki just before putting the skewers on the braai, because if you do this the day before the cucumber has to be seeded otherwise the tzatziki gets watery, and this is just too much of a mission.
Tzatziki:
1 Cucumber, peeled and diced
350g Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
2 tbsp olive oil
Mix ingredients together in a serving bowl – dish up and serve.
I like my Souvlaki with rocket on the side. In Greece they use the same recipe and serve the meat in pita breads– these are called Gyro’s and they are just as delicious.
How to braai fish in newspaper
The most important thing when braaing fish is to be sure that the fish is fresh. The fish should look fresh with bright eyes and shiny skin. When you press on the flesh it should bounce back, because if a dent stays the fish is probably old. The fish should also not smell fishy (yes, really). You can ensure that your fish is fresh by catching it yourself, buying it from a trustworthy fishmonger or buying it from fishermen, and as you can see from the picture above they are easy to spot in a crowd.
Ingredients:
1 whole FRESH fish. Cob, Yellow tail or Cape Salmon (Gutted and scaled, with the head and tail still on but the backbone removed) +/- 2kg
¼ Cup Butter
Lemon Juice
3-4 Cloves Garlic – crushed
3 Ripe big tomatoes – sliced
1 Onion sliced
Newspaper
String for tying
Handful of fresh parsley, thyme and basil – Chopped
Stuff the fish with the garlic, tomatoes, onions and herbs. Add a few lumps of butter and close the fish.
Take 10 newspaper pages and individually dip in water and then wrap around the fish. Tie it up with string to prevent it from unraveling. Make a hollow in medium heat coals and nestle the wrapped fish among the coals for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Be sure to turn the fish occasionally. Keep water handy in case the newspaper ignites. If you are using a kettlebraai you can put the parcel on top of the grid and close the lid.
Remove the newspaper and serve with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Pizza on the braai
I’ve heard of people making pizzas on the braai, but never really saw the point until I tried it last night. What a treat!
The Base
1. Go to your local supermarket’s bakery and ask them for a bag of dough. You shouldn’t pay much more than R10 for this.
2. Cut the dough into squares (+/- 4×4 cm) and cover with a damp cloth to let it rise.
3. Using a rolling pin roll each cube into a flat base just before putting it on the braai.
While your dough cubes are rising, make the fire in your Monolith or Kettle Braai and put the pizza stone on. If you have a temperature regulator, try to get the temperature as close to 220°C as possible.
The Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Medium Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
20 ml Tomato Puree
1 Can Diced Tomato
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of Oregano
1. Sautee the chopped up onion and add the garlic once the onion starts to caramelize.
2. Add Tomato puree and whole can of diced tomatoes.
3. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Some people add 5 ml sugar to their sauce, but I will leave it up to you to decide if you want it or not.
Getting the pizza onto the braai without all the toppings falling off seems tricky, but it’s actually quite easy. Do it this way:
Sprinkle some flour on tin foil and roll the dough out onto the foil. Before putting your toppings on put your rolled out base on the braai for about a minute or two so that the dough sets. Once it has set, take it off and add your sauce and toppings. It’s much easier to get it onto the braai with a spatula now.
Toppings:
A lot of mozzarella, other than that, be creative.
Put the pizza on the hot pizza stone (also sprinkled with flour) for 8-10 minutes. Delicious and fun to make. Enjoy.
How to butterfly a chicken
We live in a time where it is so easy to buy a microwave meal, processed foods or a whole roast chicken, and that’s probably why most people never learn the basics of preparing whole foods. To live a more healthy and organic life does not necessarily need to be more expensive or take much longer, you just need to put in the effort. With a little patience and practice, you can master butterflying a chicken in 10 minutes.
The great thing about a whole chicken is that it is much cheaper than buying breasts or drumsticks separately, and you can always use what’s left over for lunch the next day. All you need is a sharp pair of scissors – I always have a sharp pointed pair of scissors handy in the kitchen because they are great for cleaning prawns as well, and more versatile than normal scissors. If the raw chicken makes you squeal, use gloves for this exercise.
- Remove the neck from the body and trim away any fat along the cavity.
- Removing the Backbone
Turn the chicken upside down so that the back is facing up and the drumsticks point towards you, and then use the scissors to cut along the backbone on both sides. Remove the backbone completely. - Remove any access fat found in and around the carcass.
- To clean simply rinse thoroughly under running water.
- Put the chicken down skin-side-up and point the wings towards the legs.
That’s it! Now just spice it however you prefer and pop it on medium coals for 40-50 minutes. Voila
Satay Sauce
The Satay Sauce originates in eastern cooking and was developed in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and China. In the west it is particularly popular in the Netherlands. A satay sauce goes well with braaied food, especially with chicken.
What you need:
- 1 tsp oil (If you can find peanut oil, that. Otherwise normal sunflower oil will do.)
- half small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic glove, crushed
- 1 small, fresh chili, finely chopped
- half a cup of crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tot soy sauce
- 1/2 tot fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tot brown sugar
What you do:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onion until soft and golden. Add garlic and chili and cook for a further minute.
- Add all other ingredients and stir to combine. Stir frequently and keep sauce on medium heat until it starts to boil. It is not ready or you can further heat and stir until it has thickened to your liking.
Springbok Carpaccio with Tataki Sauce
Jeremy Freemantle and the African Relish Team hosted us in the previous episode of Jan Braai for Erfenis and has graciously sent us these recipes to share with you.
BRAAIED SPRINGBOK CARPACCIO WITH TATAKI SAUCE
What you need:
- 180g Springbok fillet
- Salt and black pepper
- Coriander seeds
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
- mixed baby herbs, to garnish
(Serves 2)
What you do:
Make a mixture of Maldon sea salt, crushed coriander seeds and freshly crushed black pepper and rub this all over the venison fillet. Braai the fillet until lightly brown on all sides, being careful not to braai the meat too much, it should be sealed outside and raw inside. This should take no more than 3 minutes in total. Set aside to cool.
For the Tataki sauce:
Mix together the soy sauce, honey, garlic, balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Set aside. Whisk well together.
For the mustard emulsion sauce:
Combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, egg yolk, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Using a hand blender, aerate this mixture until it forms a light froth on top. Set aside.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the cooled venison into thin slices and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with the Tataki sauce . Froth the mustard emulsion dressing once more and sprinkle the foamed emulsion over the sliced springbok. Garnish with mixed baby herbs and edible flowers.
Pork Spare Ribs
There are three reasons why pork spare ribs taste so great. First, their relatively high fat content which bastes and flavours the meat as it braais; secondly, the high bone-to-meat ratio which means that the bones impart further flavour to the meat as they heat up during the braai; thirdly, that sweet and sticky sauce we usually enjoy with them. But marinades and sauces that contain sugar burn easily, so there are two things that can go wrong when you braai spare ribs:
- You remove them from the fire when you think the marinade is starting to burn, but then find the insides still raw.
- You braai them until the inside is done, but by that stage the marinade is burnt.
There is a very easy way to get around these two problems, which is to braai first and marinade later. Don’t marinade or baste the ribs, just braai them and remove them from the fire about 5 minutes before they are ready. Generously smother them in the sauce, then return them to the fire and complete the braai. The ribs will be properly cooked inside and your sauce will be nicely glazed without being burnt.
What you need (feeds 4)
- 1.5 kg pork spare ribs
- ½ cup honey (or golden syrup)
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 tot apple juice
- ½ tot soy sauce
- ½ tot paprika
What to do
- Prepare the sauce: Mix all the ingredients (except for the ribs) together in a bowl. If there is anything else you wish to add to the sauce, do so.
- Braai the whole spare ribs over medium heat for 30 minutes until almost done.
- Remove the ribs from the fire and place on a cutting board. Cut into single ribs.
- Toss the ribs into the sauce bowl and coat them well. Use a spoon and/or shake the bowl around. Leave for a minute or three so that the exposed, meaty parts of the ribs can bond with and absorb the sauce.
- Braai the now generously basted ribs for between 2 and 10 minutes until all the sauce is warm and glazed. If during the cutting you saw that the ribs are basically done and will start to dry out, just braai them for a minute or two until the sauce is glazed, but if you saw they still have a way to go, make it closer to 10 minutes or even longer, also exposing the two recently cut sides of each rib to heat by letting them face the coals.
Honey adds a unique flavour to this recipe but you could also substitute golden syrup.
© Jan Braai (photo & recipe)
Peri Peri Sauce
The use of peri-peri chillies and sauces filtered into South Africa from our Portuguese-speaking neighbouring countries Mozambique and Angola. The peri-peri (also called African Bird’s Eye or Piri-Piri) chilli is a member of the capsicum family of chillies. Compared to the average chilli it’s quite small and very hot. If you can’t get hold of it, use any small and potent chilli. But best is to get yourself a plant and cultivate them at home; they grow quite easily in most parts of South Africa.
In real braai life you will use peri-peri sauce often. It goes particularly well with braaied steak, chicken, fish and prawns. Due to the combination of ingredients it will easily last for weeks inside your fridge and the flavour gets even better after standing for a few days. I suggest you make it in large quantities.
What you need
- 8 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup grape vinegar (red or white)
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup water
- 1 tot paprika powder
- 1 tot chilli powder
- 1 tot salt
- a few small hot chillies (peri-peri/African Bird’s Eye – chopped)
What to do
- Finely chop the garlic and throw this into a glass bottle or jar with the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, water, paprika powder, chilli powder and salt. Shake well until the ingredients are mixed and all the salt dissolved.
- Now taste the sauce and if you want it hotter, add one or more finely chopped chillies to the sauce and shake. You can add as many chillies as you wish and if, like me, you like quite a lot of burn then it might be wise to mix two batches, one with fewer chillies.
- Do not touch your eyes or any other sensitive parts of your body while you are making this sauce as the traces of chilli juice left on your hands will burn those sensitive parts. Go and wash your hands to get the chilli juices off them, and then still be careful.
- The sauce can be used immediately but will improve with age and last in your fridge for weeks. You will use the sauce as a marinade, basting sauce or normal dipping sauce on braaied food.
Pan braaied steak flambe
This recipe was pioneered during the great Braai Tour of South Africa in 2011. It was Day 34 of the tour and all members of the touring party was understandably used to a very high level of braaing. Normal meat for normal people wasn’t cutting it anymore. For the first time in quite a while it was just the six members of the touring party, nobody else. We were in Baviaanskloof and sleeping in a cave; we had about 3 kilograms of rump steak between the six of us and the film crew wanted something special as this was also the last braai of a TV episode. I went with pan braaied steak flambe for starters (this recipe) and steak prego rolls for mains. After the episode aired there were quite a few emails asking for the recipe. Here it is.
![Jan Braai steak flambe](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/steak-flambe.jpg)
The actual braai took place in the dark, and as we were filming during that for the TV show, no flashlight photography was possible.
Ingredients
- Matured Rump steak (100 grams pp for starters, 200 – 300 grams pp for mains)
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Klipdrift
- Cream (optional)
- Pat salt and pepper into/onto both sides of the steak.
- Place the pan over the flames. This recipe works very well as a starter as it is best prepared whilst the fire is still burning. Use an old pan, or a cast iron pan, or whatever pan you generally use on the fire.
- Generously add some olive oil to the pan. You might even want to put the oil in the pan before putting the pan on the flames.
- As soon as the oil is really really hot, place the steak in the pan. Take care not to splash some of the boiling hot oil on yourself. The pan can stay on the flames during this whole process.
- Turn the meat after about 2 minutes and remove from the fire after about another 2 minutes (very thin steak shorter, very thick steak longer).
- Add a generous dash of brandy to the pan, take the pan back to the flames and slightly tilt so that the brandy can catch fire.
- Remove the pan from fire and let the meat rest for a few minutes.
- Cut the steak into strips (in the pan, or on a cutting board) and return the meat to the pan, so that it can further absorb some of the sauces in the pan.
- Serve as is, potentially grinding additional sea salt onto the meat if needed.
- Originally I served this recipe as is from the pan to everyone around the fire. If you are going to plate it, let the meat rest on a cutting board before you slice it up. Whilst the meat is resting add a dash of cream to the sauce in the pan, bring to boil and use that combined sauce (essentially consisting of olive oil, meat juice, salt & pepper & cream) on the plated steak strips.
- You can obviously also just add cream to the sauce even when serving straight up from the pan.
Breakfast Braai
With the early morning games of the Rugby World Cup around the corner, we’ll all be having many breakfast braais in the next few weeks. This is how it’s done:
Ingredients:
- cheese (I prefer aged cheddar)
- tomato
- onion
- chutney
- salt & pepper
- butter
- eggs (baked sunny side up in a pan)
The braaibroodjie (braaied toasted sandwich) is arguably the highlight of any braaing experience. Many South Africans braai meat simply as an excuse to also have braaibroodjies. The traditional braaibroodjie is done by making a sandwich with cheese (I prefer aged cheddar), tomato, onion, chutney, salt & pepper with butter on the outside. Braai this sandwich in a closed grid over very mild coals until the outsides are golden brown and the cheese is melted. If you’re having a breakfast braai then bake some eggs sunny side up in a pan on the braai or stove, and when your braaibroodjies are finished gently pull them open and insert one egg into each. You now have a breakfast braaibroodjie.
Alternative:
![boerewors braaibroodjies](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/boerewors-braaibroodjies.jpg)
Thin boerewors braais for about as long as braaibroodjies. When both are done, insert some of the former into the latter.
In addition to braaibroodjies, boerewors rolls are one of the true classics of the South African braai; a fresh piece of braaied boerewors in a hotdog roll. The boerewors braaibroodjie gives you the best of both worlds. Whilst braaing your braaibroodjies, braai some thin boerewors as well. When both are done, gently pull each braaibroodjie open and insert a few short pieces of boerewors into each. Your guests will not be disappointed, you will not be disappointed, and your life might have just changed.
how to braai snoek
This is the ultimate snoek braai recipe and include various snoek braai tips and advice on decisions at different stages of the snoek braai. A collection of knowledge from various famed snoek braaiers result in this snoek braai recipe and description. Once you have mastered what follows below it stands to reason that you will experiment and develop your own special way of braaing snoek using this as a foundation.
Ingredients
- 1 fresh snoek
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 150 ml apricot jam
- 100 ml butter or olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 chopped garlic cloves
- 25ml soy sauce (optional)
- 50 – 100 ml white wine (optional)
- Dash of chilli sauce (optional)
Method
- When you buy your snoek, ask for it to be cleaned and for the head and tail to be cut off.
- When starting the actual snoek braai process at home, wash the snoek under cold running water.
- Now the snoek needs to be dried. This can be done in one of three ways:
- By hanging it in a cool area with a draft blowing over it. Hanging up a snoek is not always easy if you don’t live in a fisherman’s village on the Weast Coast so an easy way of hanging the snoek to dry is by already putting it in the grid that you will be braaing it in, and hanging the grid on a hook in a cool place with a slight draft, for example under a tree;
- By salting the snoek with coarse sea salt that will absorb all the water;
- By blotting it with paper kitchen towels.
- Whichever of these methods you use, do make sure that flies cannot make a pre-emptive strike and that your snoek has some defence system against aerial attack by flies.
- Using a small pot on the fire or on a stove, lightly fry the chopped garlic in the butter. Then add the apricot jam and lemon juice. If you want to add some of the optional ingredients, do so now. Heat and stir until everything is melted and mixed.
- If you salted the snoek in step 3, you now have to shake off all the course sea salt. Most of the big visible pieces need to be shaken off as a tooth can be broken on them. Obviously some of the salt would have transferred onto the snoek so keep this in mind when adding extra salt in one of the next steps. This “pre salting” of snoek with coarse sea salt is loved by some and hated by others. You need to test whether it works for you.
- A snoek should be braaied “open”. Smear the skin side of the snoek with oil so that it does not stick to the grid and now place in the grid, skin side down. There are two ways:
- Straight onto the grid. Coals will need to be slightly gentler as the skin might burn easier. More heat goes straight into the fish as it will not be deflected by the foil. You definitely need to pay more attention and make sure you don’t burn the fish. The skin side of the fish will end up slightly crisper.
- Foil on grid and fish on foil. Coals can be hotter as the foil protects the fish from getting burned. Another advantage of doing it on foil is that you can fold up the sides of the foil, which saves any basting and sauce that runs off the fish. The fish will then partly “boil” in the sauce (a good thing). Fish braaied on foil is also easier to lift completely onto a serving tray still on the foil.
- Grind salt and pepper onto the flesh side of the snoek and lightly pat it onto the meat.
- Braai time: Whether you are using foil or whether the skin side went straight onto the grid, a snoek should be braaied for about 15 minutes in total. This time can slightly deviate depending on heat of coals, height of grid and size of snoek. The skin side of the snoek will be down for about 80% of the total braai time. You can test whether the snoek is ready by inserting a fork in the thickest part and slightly turning the fork. If the flesh flakes, the snoek is ready.
- When braaing with foil I would braai 10 minutes skin side down, 3 minutes flesh side down (and during this time remove the foil from the skin side) and then a final 2 minutes skin side down to brown the skin.
- When braaing without foil I would go 12 minutes on skin side and then turn and give 3 minutes on flesh side to brown flesh side. There is a far greater risk of burning the snoek here, so you may also want to turn it more often. If you do, then you need to baste it after each turn, so make sure you have enough basting sauce by adding the white wine, or simply increasing all the ingredients of the basting sauce.
- Basting the snoek: The basting should happen during the time that the flesh side is up. Use a brush or simply drip it onto the fish with a spoon. You can baste as often as you wish until all the basting is used. Should you find that you would like to use more basting, then increase the basting part of the recipe next time.
Additional snoek braai advice and tips
- There is a constant risk that the fish will stick to the grid, so gently shake whichever side of the grid is on top at any stage of the braai to loosen it from the meat.
- Serve the snoek skin side down, flesh side up.
- It can be dished using a spatula. Break rather than cut through the snoek (as you would for example do with a pizza) as cutting through the snoek would also cut the bones into smaller parts, which can get stuck in your throat. Normal uncut snoek fish bones are quite large and you will easily spot them.
- Snoek is best served with a side of soetpatats, which when translated into English is sweet sweet-potatoes.
How to braai the perfect steak
The one thing that you really should be able to comfortably braai perfectly at your own house is a steak. If you stick to a few basic guidelines and pay attention to what you are doing, this is a skill that you will master in no time. Once you can comfortably braai a steak perfectly at home, the knowledge, skill and experience can also serve as the foundation for doing it anywhere else, in whatever strange braai conditions life might throw at you. Braaing the perfect steak assumes that the actual steak that you are braaing is of a certain quality. However good you braai it, a bad piece of meat is never going to turn out great.
1) The steak should be at room temperature by the time it goes onto the fire.
- If is was/is in a fridge, take it out well in advance, and leave it in the shade or indoors. (When you make the effort to buy great steaks, you are probably not going to freeze them, but should the steaks that you want to braai be frozen, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge at least a day in advance to allow them to thaw at a gentle pace).
- Its already 100% protein, so cover it with a cloth to keep the flies and bugs away. If there are dogs, place it well outside their reach.
2) You need copious amounts of extremely hot coals.
- If, and this is preferable, you are making a real fire with real wood, make a big fire from the outset. Do not make a medium sized fire and add more wood later. By the time the second batch of wood has burned out, the coals of the first batch will be half dead. Once the meat goes onto the fire, the process will be over quickly, so if you want to stand around the fire and discuss life with your guests for a few hours before you eat, make a medium sized fire by all means. But when you intent to braai, add lots of wood, wait till its burned out, and braai.
- If there was only wet wood available at the petrol station and you are using charcoal, light quite a lot of it. For a small braai, consider half a bag. Its not uncommon for me to use a whole bag of charcoal when braaing steaks for a dinner party.
- If you are wondering whether you have enough heat, then the answer is probably no. For these easy steps to a perfect steak to work, you need peace of mind that your coals are extremely hot. This is important.
3) The exact height of your grid is not important. Anything between 5 and 15 centimetres is fine.
- The important thing is that you when you braai steaks at your own house, you always braai them on the same height, and that you know exactly what that height is.
- When you are braaing at a new location, you should compare the height of the grid to the height of the grid when braaing steaks at home, and adjust braaing time accordingly.
4) Steaks should be done medium rare.
- If you really prefer your steaks rare and aren’t just saying it to try and sound rougher than everybody else ordering medium rare, then you should not be ordering rare steaks anyhow. There are two great dishes for you to try. Steak Tartar, and Beef Carpaccio.
- If you prefer your steaks medium, then start buying better quality steaks, learn how to braai them better, and acquire the acquired taste of enjoying them medium rare.
- If you prefer your steaks medium well or well done, then why exactly are you reading this? You are surely quite capable of messing up meat all by yourself.
- If one of your guests wants their steak medium, and you prepared enough extremely hot coals to start with, then there will be quite enough heat to get her steak medium by the time everybody else has been seated and served.
- If one of your guests wants their steak medium well or well done, refuse.
5) Take the time when the steaks go onto the grid and take them off after about 7 minutes.
- Steaks cut to a thickness of 2,5cm to 3cm, braaied on extremely hot coals and a 10cm grid height take about 7 minutes in total to become medium rare.
- After 2 minutes turn the steaks. After another 2 minutes, turn them again; now turn after 1:30 more minutes, and then a final 1:30. They are now ready.
- It’s perfectly acceptable to ask someone else to keep the time.
6) Use braai tongs, not a fork, to turn the meat. A fork will make holes in the meat, and you might lose some juice.
7) After the first turn of the meat, you may start salting, spicing or basting the meat.
- Adding salt before this might cause the salt to draw out some of the moisture in the meat. This is a high school science concept known as osmoses.
- Rubbing salt or spice into the meat shortly before the braai will not draw out any significant amount of moisture and is thus fine. There is a risk that some ingredients in the spice will burn on the extremely hot coals though.
- Adding salt before the braai does not make the meat tough. Buying bad quality meat makes the meat tough.
8) If you are using a closed grid (toeklaprooster) then all the steaks will obviously be turned at the same time. If you are turning the steaks one by one then turn them in the order that they went onto the grill and also remove them from the grid in that order.
9) Meat needs to “rest” a bit after the braai, before you eat it.
- This gives the juices in the meat the opportunity to settle down, and not all run out when you cut the meat.
- What you need to watch out for when resting meat is that it does not end up cold by the time you eat it. There are two easy ways to counter this problem. Heat the bowl that you are placing the meat into when taking them from the fire; and heat the plates you will be eating the steaks from.
- By the time that everybody have been seated and served, the meat has rested enough.
- Do not put the steaks in an aluminium braai bowl with lots of other meat and into an oven where they will steam cook for another hour whilst some fool is braaing his frozen chicken. Your steaks will be ruined by the time you eat them.
After having followed the above steps you need to make an honest assenement of whether the steaks were perfect. If they were not, you need to repeat the above steps, making slight adjustments until you have fine tuned your technique to perfection. The most obvious mistakes to make:
- If the steaks are burnt black on the outside, there is a very good chance that its not the meat, but the marinade or spices that are burnt. The easiest way to get rid of this problem is by using a different, or even better, no marinade in future.
- If the steaks are done medium or well, then they were probably cut to thin. Use steaks that are thicker in future, or, braai the same steaks but for a shorter time.
- If the steaks look great when you slice it and look at it from the side, but are quite tough to chew, then they probably come form a badly raised animal, or they were not aged properly, or both. Buy your steaks at a different place in future.
- If the steaks are underdone, then your fire was not warm enough. Repeat the process, and really go all out with that fire next time. You will be surprised how much heat a piece of un-marinated meat can withstand for 7 minutes without getting burned.
Once you can perfectly braai steaks at your own house, it’s easy to do it anywhere else as well. If there are less than ideal coals, try to set the grid very low. If the steaks are cut exceptionally thick, braai them longer and vice versa when they are cut especially thin. If the grid only has one setting and that is very high, allow a little extra braaing time.
The Rotherhamburger
My friend Seth Rotherham is many things including editor of 2Oceansvibe.com, DJ on 2Ocensvibe Radio, owner of 2Oceansvibe media and GQ’s best dressed man in 2010. Then there is also the Butlers pizza named after him (The Rotherham). But none of this really makes him a real man as defined by people living in Bellville, De Aar, Bloemfontein or Pretoria. That changes today, with the official launch of the Rotherhamburger. Seth hosted me for a braai at the 2Oceansvibe Radio studios this morning for what was my final braai in Cape Town before leaving to the next stop of the Braai4Heritage tour, the wine capital Stellenbosch. At the braai this morning I launched “The Rotherhamburger, inspired by Seth Rotherham”. The Rotherhamburger is a decadent chicken burger topped with feta, bacon, mozerella and salami.
![The Rotherhamburger by Jan Braai, inspired by Seth Rotherham www.braai.com](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/The-Rotherham-Burger.jpg)
The Rotherhamburger by Jan Braai, inspired by Seth Rotherham, as pictured at its launch in Cape Town by Jan & Seth.
Ingredients (makes 4)
- 4 chicken breasts
- 4 hamburger rolls
- 8 slices salami
- 8 slices bacon
- 8 slices mozzarella cheese
- crumbled feta feta cheese
Method
- Light the fire.
- Spice the chicken breasts with your favourite chicken spice.
- When the coals are ready braai the chicken breasts until medium (about 10 minutes) and fry the bacon in a pan on the fire or in a pan on a stove.
- Assemble the burger as follows: Salami, feta, chicken breast, mozzarella, bacon. (The chicken and bacon will melt the mozzarella, thus logic dictates that you can also assemble it: bacon, mozzarella, chicken, feta, salami).
Tips
- If you use good quality salami and bacon it will make the burger taste even better.
- Chicken breasts dry out easily when overcooked.
Leg of lamb potjie
I was recently (at the time of writing a few minutes ago) asked for a leg of lamb (skaapboud) potjie recipe on Twitter. That medium allowing only 140 characters, I thought it better to answer the question here. I’ve done a few leg of lamb potjies in my life, but never from a recipe. Leg of lamb is such a great meat to start with that you need to stick to the basics of potjie making and the result will be awesome.
Ingredients
- 1 Leg of lamb (on the bone, I assume, but off the bone also fine and will be ready sooner).
- 2 chopped or sliced onions
- 3 cloves of chopped garlic
- 1 stick of chopped celery
- 1 kg of chopped tomatoes
- about 5 peeled & cut potatoes
- about 5 peeled & cut carrots
- Whichever other interesting vegetables are on hand. This could be green beans, baby marrow, mushrooms, peppers, sweet potato, etc. Anything really.
- Dried fruit
- Olive oil or butter
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Place the pot on the fire and heat the olive oil or butter.
- Add the onions, garlic & celery and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the leg of lamb, and brown on all sides. If the pot is too warm and the meat is burning, add a few tots of wine. (At the time of writing it was 28 December, I assume there is some leftover wine in your fridge).
- Grind salt & pepper onto all sides of the meat.
- When the meat is brown, add all the tomatoes.
- Put the lid onto the pot, and gently simmer for 1 hour.
- Open the lid, smell the pot, pat yourself on the back.
- The piece of meat should lie roughly in the middle of the pot.
- Pack all the potato pieces and then all the carrot pieces around the meat.
- Now all other vegetables that have to be eaten cooked (for e.g. sweet potato & pumpkin) as well as the dried fruit. Grind salt & pepper onto the top layer of what you see.
- Do not stir the pot, but gently ensure there is enough liquid in the bottom, and that it’s not burning. If unsure, add a bit more wine.
- Replace lid and simmer for another hour or 2.
- Now add all the vegetables that one can eat uncooked (e.g. mushrooms, baby marrows, peppers).
- Replace lid and simmer for another half hour.
- Remove pot from fire and prepare to serve with rice or, and I prefer this, fresh bread.
- You will still need to slice the meat. Either in the pot, or on a cutting board on the side.
Other comments
- Do not stir the pot at any time. This will break the vegetables and make you look like an amateur.
- At the end of the process, just before serving, you should have minimal free flowing liquid in the pot and a nice thick sauce surrounding the bottom vegetables. We are not making soup. Using chopped tomatoes instead of water at the start will greatly aid you in this goal at the end.
Kassler parcels
Ingredients
- 6 kassler steaks
- mustard
- butter
- 6 cloves
- 6 pineapple rings (from a tin)
Method
- Lubricate 6 pieces of tinfoil, big enough for a kassler steak each, with Olive Oil, Butter or Spray&Cook.
- Smear both sides of the steaks with a little mustard and place on tinfoil.
- Top with a pineapple ring with a clove stuck into it.
- Place a dollop of butter in the middel of each ring.
- Fold the sides of the pieces of foil upwards to make parcels and put on the fire for 20 – 30 minutes until done.
- Enjoy
Thanks Tanya
The Braai Turtles
This will not really work on a braai, but next time you fire up your man oven* to roast a chicken, perhaps braai a few turtles for the kids.
- Handmade beef mince patties.
- Topped with cheddar cheese.
- Wrapped in a bacon weave.
- Add cut viennas as the heads, legs and tail.
- Bake in Man Oven* for 20 – 30 minutes.
* If you dont know what a Man Oven is, take this link.
Thank you Tobias
Sweet Chilli Lamb Chops
This was submitted by avid braaier from Durban, Amith Gosai. If you have a special recipe worthy of being on this website, please submit it at the bottom of the recipes page. But follow the example set by Amith, and type clearly and coherently, so that the recipe can be understood and executed by other people. We are not necessarily looking for poetry, but for clear instructions. If you have additional advice, give it. If you have a camera that takes decent photos, take a picture of the dish, and email it to me.
Ingredients
- Any cut Lamb chops (4)
- 3 green chillis
- 1 clove garlic
- fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1tsp lemon juice
- 1tsp Worcester Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp bbq sauce (any variety)
Method
- Mince the chilli’s, garlic & ginger then mix together in a big mixing bowl.
- Add the salt, turmeric powder, brown sugar & black pepper.
- Mix well and add the oil to form a paste.
- Add the bbq sauce, lemon juice & Worcester Sauce.
- When you have your marinade, rub it onto each chop making sure you coat them well. Allow to marinate in the fridge for an hour after which its ready to go on the hot braai.
Additional Advice
If you find it dry, you can make a quick basting sauce for it while on the grill. melt butter, peri peri sauce & honey. mix well & pour over the chops as they’re getting braaied.
How to make putu pap
Now that you can blow a Vuvuzela, the next step is learning how to properly make Putu pap. Putu pap, also known as “Putu Porridge” and “Krummelpap” looks good and tastes great, but is sometimes difficult to make if you did not grow up in the Freestate. Here is the answer to the critical question: How do you make Putu Pap?
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 3 cups of maize meal
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- some more water
Method
- Bring the 2 cups of water to boil in a cast iron pot.
- Add the salt to the water.
- Throw the 3 cups of maize meal in the water, aiming for the middle. You should now see a tower of maize meal resembling a mine dump, its base in the water and top protruding. Do not touch it.
- Put the lid on the pot, and remove from the fire. Leave the pot with the gentle heat of some coals for 20 minutes, until all the water was absorbed into, or steamed into, the maize meal tower.
- Remove the lid. Take a big fork, the one you use for holing a leg of lamb whilst carving it, and stir the porridge, until it looks like Putu pap.
- Add some more water (about half a cup, depending on how much heat you had in the first 20 minutes, and how moist you want the end product). All water added should be instantly absorbed by the porridge. Stir again.
- Replace the lid, and let steam for another 20 minutes on the gentle heat of coals. Resist the temptation to open the lid all the time, but opening once or twice to stir it again and see that its not burning is acceptable.
Other comments
- If the bottom of the porridge burns a crust in the pot, don’t stress, this is quite normal and does not influence the taste negatively. The crust can easily be removed afterwards.
- This recipe is foolproof and works as well almost as well on a stove.
- A nr.1 or nr.2 pot works best for this amount or maize meal, but a bigger pot will also suffice.
- If you want more porridge, the recipe can be scaled, keeping the same ratios.
How to braai a Mackerel
In the past, my fish eating has basically been limited to braaied snoek and the occasional Sushi in Seapoint. A few weeks ago I taught myself how to braai Salmon during a trip to Norway, and that now forms part of a short list of “fish meals that I eat”. That list grew to three, when I learned how to braai a mackerel. I am pretty sure that there is not a better way to braai a mackerel, and at the time of eating, I said that it was the “best braaied fish that I have ever eaten”.
Ingredients (per person)
- 1 small mackerel
- 5 cloves of garlic
- few sprigs of thyme
- few sprigs of parsley
- half a lemon
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Method
- Wash the inside and outside of the Mackerel with water, and tap dry with a paper towel.
- Grind Salt & Pepper on inside & outside.
- Make 4 or 5 incisions on each side of the fish with a sharp knife.
- Place half a garlic clove and some parsley and thyme in each incision.
- Put the rest of the Parsley & Thyme inside the fish, and squeeze lemon juice into inside and onto outside of the fish.
- Brush outside of fish with olive oil (for taste, and for not sticking to the grid).
- Place inside a fish grill (if you have one, otherwise a normal grill) and braai for 15 minutes on medium coals.
Peri Peri sauce recipe for a braai
There might be better places than Mozambique to get quality Peri-Peri sauce, but them I am not aware of them. Mozambique is of course pretty far when you happen to be touring Europe and want a braaied Prego Steak Roll. This is what I did:
Ingredients
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (Some recipes call for paprika powder. Paprika is another name for what we call Red Pepper, so I used a fresh one).
- 2 Chilies (read “other comments” below)
- 2 Large cloves of garlic
- 1 Lemon
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Chop the pepper, chillies and garlic into a bowl and squeeze the juice of the lemon onto it.
- Use a food processor or hand held blender and puree the above.
- Add oil and mix with a spoon.
Other Comments
- Take care when visiting the bathroom after chopping chilies.
- “Two chillies” is a relative concept. After you put the hand held blender to the mixture, and all the pips are chopped and blended into the sauce, it gives the burn you are looking for. If it’s not enough, add another chili.
- When squeezing out the juice of the lemon, make sure the pips don’t join the party.
- You can add as much oil as you wish. Sunflower oil will also work.
- This sauce will also go very well with braaied Chicken, and with braaied white Fish.
- Marinade the steaks in some of the sauce. Heat the rest of the sauce before adding it to your braaied steak and roll.
- The sauce is even better the next day.
Braaied Chicken, Feta & Sundried Tomato Burger
All burgers are not created equal. There will be no long introduction story for the braaied Chicken, Feta and Sundried Tomato burger patty. The recipe speaks for itself. This is a development of a recipe published by journalist Lise Beyers a while ago.
Ingredients (for four patties)
- 4 Chiken Breasts
- 2 Feta Wheels
- 1 pack (200g-250g) Sundried Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- If you like herbs, herbs.
Method
- Cut Chicken breasts, Feta and Sundied Tomatoes into pieces.
- Mix the above and Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Herbs in a bowl.
- Divide mixture into four, and make four patties.
- Place foil in a grid, and wet the foil on four places with olive oil. Place the patties on these four spots, and start to braai. Risk of burning is minimal due to the foil, so heat is not your enemy.
- Place another sheet of foil on top, close the grid, and turn. Continue braaing until the patties are set, and then remove the foil from both sides, when each respective sheet is on top.
- Braai until the chicken is done, and serve on buttered prego rolls.
Hamburger on the braai
I recently went to Hamburg, and did some research on the origin of Hamburgers. To read about that (the origin, not the visit) click here. After all of that, I was obviously in the mood to braai a Hamburger, so this is what I did: Store bought Hamburger patties. You can obviously make them yourself but this really is a “Monday of Tuesday night after-work braai recipe”. The packet I bought had four patties, and I was surprised by the quality (see this close-up photo of a patty). According the packaging you can defrost it first, or braai it frozen. So I defrosted two, and left the other two in the fridge. The ones that went onto the braai frozen braaied easier, as their sides sealed before they could stick to the grid. All four tasted the same in the end.
![Cheese Burger Patty on braai](http://web.archive.org./web/20191009112942im_/http://braai.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Cheese-Burger-Patty-on-braai.jpg)
Yes, this is exactly what it looks like. A patty, on the braai, with some cheese melting on top of it.
Ingredients
- 4 Hamburger patties
- 4 Hamburger rolls
- 4 Thick slices of cheese
- 1 Big, 2 Medium or 4 Small Tomatoes
- 4 Lettuce leaves
- Hamburger sauce (I bought this at the store to try it out, was pretty good, but a mix of Mayonaise and Chutney will be even better).
- Dried Onion chips (If you cannot find this, fry two real onions).
Method
- Braai the patties until medium turning 3 – 5 times in total. Just before the patties are ready, after the last turn, place a slice of cheese on top of each so that the cheese can slightly melt.
- Put a patty with cheese on the bottom half of each bun, and add all the other ingredients.
- The order really does not matter, so go for something that will look good on photos.
- Eat. In my opinion eating French Fries at home is really stupid and the time spent making them could be spent standing around the braai. If you want to eat more, braai and make more hamburgers.
Salmon on the Braai
I spent the past weekend in Oslo. My knowledge of Norway is pretty limited and by far the most exiting part of the visit for me was the possible access to fresh Norwegian Salmon. I was not disappointed. Due to the bad weather, the first piece of fresh fish that I bought could not be braaied, so I cut it up in pieces and ate a man sized portion of Salmon Sashimi. The next day I had better luck with the weather, and managed the braai described below.
Ingredients per single serving:
- 250 gram Norwegian Salmon fillet
- Dash of Soy Sauce
- Quarter of a Lemon
- Dash of Olive Oil
- Black Pepper
Method
- Drizzle the fish with Soy Sauce on both sides.
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon over both sides.
- Roll the fish around in the sauce, making sure all parts are covered, and then drizzle with Olive Oil.
- Grind a bit of black pepper over the fish.
- Leave for 10 – 20 minutes for the sauces to slightly enter the meat. Longer is not good, as the delicate meat of the fish will then be broken down to much by the marinade.
- Turn the meat around one final time, ensuring maximum exposure of all sides to the marinade.
- Braai for between 5 and 10 minutes on medium coals, turning only once.
- Eat immediately whilst still warm.
Lewer in netvet (Skilpadjies)
Posted by Peter-jasies
Ingredients
netvet
skaaplewer (kudu lewer is net so lekker)
1 groot ui
1 sny brood
kruinaeltjies
neutmuskaat
sout en peper
Method
Laat die netvet in sterk warm water voor jy die lewer daarin sit anders kraak dit. Vir elke 1 skaaplewer benodig mens omtrent 1½ netvet as jy dit in klein porsies gaan oprol om oor die kole te braai. Maal die lewer met die ui ‘n sny brood, speserye, sout en peper. Sny die netvet in 6 cm stukkies. Skep dessertlepelsvol van die gegeurde lewer daarop . Vou die netvet toe om die lewer. Meeste van die vet braai weg en net die lekkerte bly oor. Braai oor ‘n stadige vuur of in ‘n swaarboompot.
My Snoek Braai
Posted by Leon Witbooi Courtesy Die Burger
Ingredients
1 med -large fresh Snoek
Garlic Marinade (1)
6-8 large TBSP mayonaise
3 large TBSP fine garlic paste
Salt
Pepper
Sweet Marinade (2)
More or less 6 TBSP fine apricot jam
Tomato sauce
Regular chutney
BBQ spice
Sugar
1 TSP masala
Method
Clean snoek & salt lightly. Mix marinade 1 and 2 in separate jars. Using a basting brush baste the snoek with marinade 1.
Place on grill and on the coals.
Turn the grill 1-2 times while basting.
Remove snoek and baste with marinade 2 while braaing. Turn the grill 1-2 times while basting.
It should be lekker moist.
Remove snoek and serve with garlic bread and salad.
Sweet Potatoes
Posted by Anelia from Mpumalanga
Ingredients
Medium size sweet potatoes
Foil
Butter
Salt
Method
Cover each sweet potatoe in foil.
Place between the burning coals.
Leave for approximately one hour.
Enjoy with butter and salt.
Bacon and Onion Bread
Posted by CarFunSale
Ingredients
- Ready made bread dough
- Chopped Bacon
- Chopped Onions
- Chopped Greenpeppers
Method
- Fry bacon, onion and greenpeppers in a pan.
- Roll out bread dough and spread bacon mix on surface.
- Roll up like a swissroll.
- Put into flat bottom potjie and bake on coles or
- put into a ovensafe dish and bake in oven.
Snoek Braai
Posted by Piet Smith van Roodepoort
Ingredients
1 Rou Snoek gevlek
Aromat
1 Pakkie Denny sampioene
Bottel Royco Italiaanse Slaaisous
Method
Plaas snoek met vel kant na onder op foelie.
Strooi gesnipperde sampioene oor snoek.
Sprinkel Aromat oor die sampioene.
Gooi die Royco Italiaanse slaaisous oor die die sampioen.
Maak die snoek heeltemal toe met foelie sodat sous nie kan uitloop nie.
Plaas op rooster met ‘n matige hitte vir ongeveer 15 na 20 minute.
Maak die foelie versigtig oop en toets met vurk of gaar. Moenie “overcook” dit veroorsaak dat die snoek droog word.
Geniet saam met droe wit wyn.
Kaapse Snoek Braai
Posted by Jacques van Pretoria
Ingredients
1 Rou Snoek
Garlic
Botter
Appelkoos Konfyt
Vuur
Method
Smelt ‘n halwe botter in ‘n klein pot op die stoof
Sit jou snoek in ‘n toekliprooster en begin braai
Na elke draai smeer sous met kwas op. Braai vir ongeveer so half uur en geniet ‘n regte kaapse snoek braai.
Die Snoek Artikel
Posted by Emile Joubert. WEG
Ingredients
Om ‘n snoek te braai is soos om jou vrou te soen net warmer en meer bevredigend. Want almal het sy manier om dit te doen. Voor ek by Johann se tegniek uitkom onthou die volgende:
Vermy ‘n pap snoek. Dit is soos om katkos in meelvorm te eet
Gevriesde snoek is daar niks fout mee nie – Ontdooi dit net een uur voor jy hom op die vuur gooi
‘n Snoek het soms welklein wit wurmpies tussen die vleis. Vat dit soos ‘n man
Voor die braaislag moet die snoek oopgevlek wees wat dit een velkant en een vleiskant gee
Hoe groter die snoek hoe lekkerder
Warm vuur groot rooster.
Method
LAAT BRAAI MERAAI
As jy op die Johann Krige manier wil braai moet jy ongeveer 10 minute voor die mense wil eet begin braai. Ja hier braai ons snoek in ses
Begin deur jou liggesoute snoek op die toeklap-rooster te sit. Plaas die rooster na die kole met die velkant na die warm kole. Raps die vis vir so 30 sekondes op die hitte en draai om.
Tussen die braaiery deur het jy ‘n belangrike bestanddeel nodig synde die bedruipsous. Nou hierdie kan ‘n komplekse konkoksie wees met meer bestanddele as ‘n Indiese musiekprent. Johann hou dit eenvoudig. Om die snoek se geur te laat deurkom. ‘En as die ander mense meer brand of soet wil he.
Johann se snoeksous bestaan dus uit: twee-derdes olyfolie. Een-derde wit wyn.
Dis al.
Maak dit in ‘n wynbottel met ‘n skroeftop aan. Steek gate in die skroefdop. En terwyl jy die snoek braai spuit hom mildelik met die sous elke keer dat hy omgedraai word. Die prosedeure vorm ‘n stoomaksie saam met die braai die rede waarom jy net ses
Bestuur jou vis-rooster-kontak. Wikkel die rooster met elke draaislag om te verhoed dat die vis nie vasbrand nie. En draai soveel keer as wat jy wil. Teen hierdie spoed maak dit nie saak nie.
Die snoek is reg wanneer hy in vetterige wit wigte van die grate gepluk kan word. Daai unieke geur van see vis en braaihout. Hemel kan nie beter wees nie.
Mielie Melkpap
Posted by Jonathan Booth
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ace Mielie Meal
- 2 cups full cream milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 tin sweet corn
- Salt
- Bacon and/or mushrooms (optional)
Method
- Heat up milk and water (over braai or stove). Just before it reaches boiling point, pour the two cups of Ace mielie meal (extensive research has shown this to be the best for this recipe) into the liquid to form a cone in the middle of the pot. Turn heat down to half of maximum, or less (or move to edge of grid/remove coals from base). Add a few pinches of salt. Leave cone for about a minute before stirring vigorously with a fork. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring as few times as possible (with a good pot you won’t need to stir). Add sweet corn and other chosen, precooked ingredients (bacon is good). Depending on your sweet corn, this may add lots of liquid. Leave pap for at least another 20 minutes, or until its reached your favourite consistency. Important not to burn, even slightly burnt pap is inedible, thus smell it often. Eat with favourite sous and wors.
- Using a thick based pot/potjie is best for this recipe.
Braaied Pork Spareribs
Posted by Wynand van Ellewee
Ingredients
- 1,5kg pork spareribs, washed and trimmed
- 125ml soy sauce
- 25ml honey
- 15ml sherry
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
Method
- Place the spareribs in a shallow baking dish.
- Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the ribs. (If you need more marinade, increase all the ingredients).
- Marinate for 2 hours, turning once.
- Drain, reserving the marinade.
- Braai the spareribs over moderate coals for about 25-30 minutes, turning and basting often with marinade.
- When they are 80% done, you can (but dont have to) cut them and throw them back with the remaining marinade and toss them around in the bowl. Return to grid and finish the braai. The sauce will then also cover their exposed sides, as shown on the photo.
Vlakken Vlakvark
Posted by Emile
Ingredients
Kry nou die dag ‘n vlakvarkrib. Dit lyk heel skaflik, maar om dit sag te kry vir braai is ‘n ander storie. Ek kry hierdie resep toe by Fieta Obberammastra van Namibië.
- Water
- Lourierblare
- Peper korrels
- Tamatiesous
- Worcestersous
- Aromat of Tabasco
Method
- Maak ‘n swartpot vol water. Laat die water kook, soos in borrelend.
- Gooi twee lourierblare en ‘n handvol peperkorrels in die water.
- Plaas dan die vlakvarkrib in die pot.
- Kook die rib vir 13 ure in die water. (Nie net om dit sag te kry nie, maar ook om die geur van nat-hond en meerkatpie uit die rib te dryf.)
- Haal die rib uit en laat dit afkoel. Smeer met tamatiesous, aromat, Mrs Balls, Tabasco..enigiets geurigs en braai die rib oor kole.
- Die beste wenk is egter om nie die vlakvark met jou kar te tref nie. Sodoende spaar jy die gedwonge kennismaak met die rib.
Spek & Shrooms
Posted by Anton
Ingredients
- 1 Punnet of button mushrooms
- 1 Packet of bacon
- A bottel of your favourite BBQ, Monkeygland or Marinade sauce
Method
- Wrap a piece of bacon around a mushroom and secure with a toothpick.
- Put wrapped mushrooms in a bowl until bottom layer is covered.
- Gooi some of your sousies over until well covered.
- Prepare as many as you see fit for the guests
- Put on braai until bacon is done turning regularly to stop sauce from blackening.
- Serve as snaks before the main meal or as a side dish to the main meal.
- Warning: 1 per guest is not enough.
Garlicporkgalore
Posted by Amanda Roux
Ingredients
- 6 pork fillets
- 12 garlic heads assorted herbs (own choice)
- Soft butter
- Dash of red wine Salt/pepper
- Olive oil
Method
- Spread the fillets open on a working area.
- Spice with salt pepper and olive oil.
- Crush the inside parts of the garlic heads till fine and mushy.
- Crush herbs fine and mix with the soft butter.
- Add the herb and butter mixture to the garlic.
- Place some of the mixture into each pork fillet and roll each one up and secure with a tooth pick.
- Pour some selected red wine into a dish and place the meat in the dish for +- a half an hour.
- Take out of the dish and braai over a mild fire till butter has melted and the meat is juicy and tender.
- Enjoy with patatoe salad, green salad and breadrolls.
- Mzanzi 4 sjo!!!!
Ina Paarman’s Smoke-Braaied Pork Chops (as seen on Top Billing)
Posted by Ina Paarman
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in loin of pork chops ± 2 cm thick trimmed of excess fat
- Ina Paarman’s Braai & Grill Seasoning
- olive oil
- Ina Paarman’s Sticky Marinade
- a very big bunch of fresh rosemary and/or sage
- Ina Paarman’s Ready to Serve Mustard Sauce
Method
Imagine juicy glazed pork chops infused with deep smoky flavour. All within easy reach with this unique method.
STEP-BY-STEP METHOD
1. Cut 2 slits 3 cm apart through the fat layer to prevent curl-up when cooking. Season both sides of the chops with braai & grill seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Pat the seasoning and oil into the meat. Leave chops at room temperature for 30 minutes while preparing medium hot coals. Clean the grid.
2. Lift the grid and place a small pan in the middle of the braai, directly on the coals, to create a coal free zone. (I prefer to do this rather than raking the coals to the sides) Stand the chops fat side up in a special little smoke rack or in doggy bone shaped cookie cutters. The bones below will buffer the meat from excessive heat. Place the rack on the grid.
3. Smoke the chops for 7-9 minutes. Open the lid. Remove the smoke rack. Lift the grid and remove the pan from the coals. Replace the grid and lay the chops down flat on the grid. Baste the chops with Sticky Marinade. Turn and baste regularly until done. Finally give it a generous glaze of marinade before serving. Serve with mustard sauce, garlic bread and a well dressed Greek salad. (serves 6)
Jordie’s pig ribbertjies
Posted by Chris Jordan
Ingredients
- Enough for 8 people
- 5 kg pig ribs, fresh, uncooked and with the skin intact
- Nomu Pork Seasoning
- Good quality honey, about 1 litre
Method
- Sprinkle the Nomu Pork Seasoning liberally the night before and leave in fridge – do not freeze.
- Allow three hours before the last stretch which will be another 30 minutes.
- Stoke a Weber big time, indirect with good quality charcoal.Leave to burn through for about 20 minutes.
- Place a drip tray at the bottom and on the grid, pack the ribbertjies with the skin on the outside, almost tent shaped.
- Place the lid on and LEAVE for 3 hours.
- Now, cut the skin, which ought to be crispy from the ribbertjies and cut the ribbertjies in individual pieces. Place in a large pan and squirt the honey liberally over the ribbertjies.
- Place back in Weber and make sure the heat is still OK, if not, stoke the fire brother.
- ave three more beers and take out.
- Serve immediately with a moerse groot salad
Pistachio sauce & Marinade for Lamb
Posted by Little Sister
Ingredients
I tried this recently and I am still in my husband’s good books. The origin is Middle Eastern. Think Lebanese, Turkish, Moroccan. They also use the braai as a tool for serving exquisite food.
Marinade
- 2 Garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 TSP tomato puree
- 2 TSPns Cumin seeds, roughly ground
- 2 TBSP roughly chopped fresh coriander
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 Onion, finely grated
- Black pepper
Pistachio Sauce
- 150g Shelled pistachio nuts
- Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 Garlic clove, crushed
- Small bunch chopped flat leave parsley
- Couple of chopped mint leaves
- 1 TBSP water
- 5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
Marinade
- Just mix all together.
- Put your chosen meat and marinade in a plastic food bag, press air out and leave for a couple of hours.
- Playing with the package every so often to distribute marinade nicely.
- Tip: Grind the seeds first before you add the rest for the marinade.
Pistachio Sauce
- Crush the nuts in a mortar & pestle or food processor.
- Mix all the ingredients together.
- Braai your meat as you like it and serve with the sauce.
Tips on what to serve with this:
- Tabbouleh is ideal with this.
- A green salad, a plate of thinly sliced sunripe tomatoes.
- A pilaf with tomato and aubergines (all the boerseuns : that is a rice dish) is perfect and makes a special meal.
- Some plain boiled baby potatoes.
- Grill aubergines on the braai and serve with the meat
Other ideas:
- Use the marinade for chicken as well.
- Add some ground cinnamon to the marinade and serve with hummus.
- Serve with a bowl of Greek yoghurt
Recommendation for the meat: Neck fillets are deliciously tender. Otherwise I recommend lamb rump steaks, de boned and butter flied leg of lamb de boned. You can use the marinade for choppies but when you have de boned lamb the pistachio sauce works best
Warm Aartappelslaai
Posted by Ronel Roworth van Durbanville
Ingredients
6 Groot aartappels gekook
2 Uie gekap
1 Pakkie bacon gesnipper
125ml Olie
125ml Blatjang 100ml wit asyn
1 TBSP Mazina
1 Koppie melk
Method
Braai die uie en bacon in bietjie olie tot gaar.
Voeg olie blatjang en asyn by en prut vir 2 min sonder deksel.
Meng die mazina met die melk en voeg by.
Roer tot dik.
Meng die sous met die aartappels. Bedien warm
Mielies with a Bacon Twist
Posted by Craig from Durban
Ingredients
4 Sweet Mielies with their leaves on
2 Packets streaky bacon
Method
Open up your mielies
Soak the mielies in a bucket of water for half an hour.
Take out the mielie and open up the leaves.
Take a piece of streaky bacon and stretch with the back of a knife.
Then take the stretched bacon and wrap around the Mielie.
Wrap as many pieces of bacon as you want.
Close the leaves and toss on the braai for about 20-30 minutes
Take off the braai.
Open up
The fat and flavour from the bacon flavours the mielei. Enjoy.
Basting for Spare ribs
Posted by Alpha Braaier
Ingredients
80 ml Honey
60 ml Soy sauce
45 ml Oyster sauce
30 ml Soft brown sugar
7 cm Piece ginger grated
3 Cloves garlic crushed
15 ml Tomato paste
1 ml Salt
1 ml Cayenne pepper
1 ml Ground cinnamon
Chopped parsley
Method
Mix all together and baste ribs as you braai. You can marinade the ribs for up to a day beforehand in the sauce, if you wish.
Beef Burger
Posted by Woodtjopper
Ingredients
Patties
- Lean beef mince
- Worcester sauce
- Salt & pepper
- Spices
Sauce
- Hot Mustard
- Mayonaise
Method
- Mix all the ingredients using enough olive oil to prevent the patties from cracking on the fire.
- Form 200g patties by pressing them between your hands. If you have a freshly showered attractive girl around, use her armpits.
- Braai the patties to medium and serve on soft hamburger rolls with a sauce of one part Hot Mustard on three parts mayonnaise.
Braai’d Butternut
Posted by Belinda
Ingredients
- 1 x large butternut
- 1 x tbls Olive oil
- 1 x tsp Origanum or Rosemary
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method
- Skin the butternut
- Slice butternut into disks
- Mix other ingredients together
- Marinade the disks in mixture for 15 min (can be marinated the day before)
- Braai the butternut till soft
Boerewors Sosaties
Posted by Carmen van Zyl
Ingredients
- Boerewors
- Onion
- Green Pepper
- Pineapple
- Cherry Tomatoes
Method
- Chop vegies (except tomatoes) in big chunks
- Cut Boerewors in 5cm pieces
- Skewer wors & vegetables (alternating the two)
- Braai until wors is done, but still juicy.
- Tip: It is easier to cut & skewer wors if it’s still frozen.
Karma-Free Kebabs
Posted by Anne Campbell
Ingredients
1 x box Fry’s Traditional “Braai Sausages”
(defrosted & each sausage cut into 4 pieces)
1 x tin diced pineapples drained
1 x red onion
1 x punnet whole mushrooms
1 x yellow or red pepper
Skewer Sticks pre-soaked in cold water (so that they don’t burn on the fire)
Method
Place ingredients onto skewer sticks alternating the cut defrosted “sausages” and vegetables; place on a karma-free section of said braai for approximately 10 minutes on a medium heat.
Pofadder Wors
Posted by Kevin
Ingredients
1 lewer (bees of wild)
Peper
Steak en Chops speserye
250gram kaas
2 medium tamaties
1 groot ui
100 ml vars room
Skaap vet derm
Method
Was die lewer skoon en trek die velletjie af (dit kan langdradig wees en jy moet geduld hê).
Sny die lewer in blokkies (10mm x 10mm) Voeg peper speserye by en meng goed
Rasper kaas met ‘n growwe rasper.
Sny tamatie en ui op in klein blokkies.
Plaas alles in een bak bymekaar en meng goed.
Spoel die vet derm goed uit en sorg dat dit goed skoon is droog die derm af
Bind die een kant van die derm toe met tou stop nou die mengsel in die derm. Moet nie die derm te styf stop nie anders sal dit bars as jy dit braai. Dit moet ook nie pap wees nie. (so hard as wat jy wors stop)
Gooi die oortollige room in en bind toe met tou.
Sit die pofadder in die yskas sodat die speserye en room kan werk. (3 ure plus)
Braai op ‘n medium hitte vuur tot gaar.
Spicy Snoek
Posted by Dianna Da Costa
Ingredients
1 Big Snoek
1 Onion
1 Green Pepper
+ 4 red chillies
5 fresh garlic cloves cut in small peices
Fish spice
Foil
Method
Open snoek and cut all ingredients. Spice fish with fish spice (both sides). Place all ingredients inside snoek
Serve with nice patatoe salad and braai bread.
Miff’s Stuffed Fillet
Posted by Miff Marais
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Beef fillet, trimmed
- Salt & black pepper
- 2 TBSP melted butter (or olive oil)
- 100g smoked oysters (canned) – optional OR chopped canned mushroom pieces & stems
- 3 TBSP fresh breadcrumbs
- 3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
- TSP dried thyme
- TSP rosemary
- Salt & black pepper
- 2 TBSP melted butter
- 1 Finely chopped onion
- 1 Crushed clove of garlic (optional)
- 2 TBSP sherry
- 3 TBSP sour cream
Method
- Make the stuffing first. Melt the butter, salt, onion and garlic.
- Let it cool down for a few minutes
- Then add the mixture of oysters (or mushrooms), breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper.
- Add sour cream and sherry and mix well.
- Cut the fillet down on one side of the fillet – leaving, the 2 ends closed. Stuff the fillet.
- Tie with string to keep in shape. Season lightly and brush with melted butter.
- Prepare fire and put a foil drip tray between the coals.
- Place meat on grill and seal – braai all around.
- Wrap the fillet in foil and place back on the braai – cook for 30-40 minutes.
- Serve with a simple pasta (fettuccini or Fusilli) cooked al dente and mixed with a dash of Pesto and fresh cream (optional) .
Blou Bul Biltongpotjie
Posted by Kobus Jan Tromp
Ingredients
- Olyfolie
- Gegeurde sout
- Ketel kookwater
- 3 Uie, gesny
- 1 Pakkie sampioene, gesny
- 1 Pakkie gesnipperde spek
- 1 Pakkie frankfurter worsies, gesny
- 1 Pakkie cheesegriller worsies, gesny
- 1 kg biltong chunks, gesny in 1cm chunks
- Halwe pak geskroefde noedels
- 1 Blik pitmielies
- 3 Gesnyde soetrissies
- 250g gerasperde kaas
- 2 Houertjies vars room
Method
- Braai uie en sampioene in olyfolie met gegeurde sout
- Gooi spek by en braai vir 2 minute
- Voeg dan die worsies by en braai vir 5 minute
- Gooi skroefnoedels by met 1 ketel kookwater
- Maak pot toe en kook vir 20 minute
- Gooi biltong, mielies en soetrissies in
- Maak deksel toe en stoom vir 5 minute
- Maak oop en roer deur
- Kyk net dat dit nie droog kook nie
- Gooi kaas en room oor en laat staan vir 5 minute
- Skep op en bedien met mengelslaai en waatlemoen.
Sampioensous vir Steak
Posted by Arend Louw
Ingredients
- 1 of 2 pakkies gensyde Sampioene
- 1 TBSP botter
- 1 TBSP koekmeelblom
- 1/2 koppie melk
- 1 Houertjie room
- 1 Blokkie Bisto
- Aromat
Method
- Maak gesnyde sampioene gaar in ‘n pan sonder enige sout. Dreineer die water of sampioensap en hou eenkant.
- Smelt botter in pot, voeg die koekmeelblom by, meng.
- Gooi die melk by en meng weer goed.
- Dit sal en moet lekker dik wees. Hou ook eenkant.
- Maak die room stadig warm in ‘n plat pan.
- Terwyl dit warm raak, neem ‘n teesiffie met Bisto en strooi eweredig oor die room terwyl jy goed roer en todat dit ‘n ligte “tan” kleur het.
- Wanneer die room warm is, (pasop vir aanbrand) roer die meelmengsel in en meng tot glad. Gooi nou die sampioene in en gebruik die sampioen se sap om die sous te verdun indien nodig.
- Kry die Aromat nader en sprinkel na smaak.
- Tip: Vir ‘n pepersous, gooi varsgemaalde peper (na smaak) in dieselfde sous met of sonder sampioene. Ryk en lekker.
Monkeygland Steak
Posted by Braden
Ingredients
- 500grams Rump Steak
- 1/2 jar (200ml) Steers Monkeygland Sauce
- 2 crushed cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Seasoning (Sea Salt & Pepper)
Method
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Add cuts of meat.
- Gently massage the marinade into meat.
- Leave in fridge for at least 3 hours. (The longer you leave it in, the more tender it will be)
Braai & Enjoy
Newspaper Boeries
Posted by Ben Olivier
Ingredients
- Boerewors
- Newspaper
Method
- Break Boerie into 20cm pieces and roll each one up in a newspaper page. Twist the ends up like a Christmas cracker.
- Throw onto very hot coals for 3 minutes, turn and leave for another 3 minutes
OR
- Throw into huge flames for 2 minutes, turn and leave for another 2 minutes
- Remove from the fire.
- The last couple of layers of newspaper is still perfect due to the boerie sweating and releasing moisture. Remove all paper and enjoy the best moist Boerie ever
Great steak
Posted by Emile Joubert
Ingredients
Vleis:
Sous:
Twee koppies Coke
Halwe koppie brandewyn
Eetlepel Mrs Ball’s blatjang
Twee eetlepels sojasous
Twee eetlepels goeie asyn (nie balsamies nie – dis te soet)
Method
Verhit pan
Gooi die Coke en Brandewyn in die pan.
Voeg Mrs Ball’s by. Kook af tot die hele storie ‘n dunnerige stroop maak.
Klits dan die sojasous en asyn by en kook vir nog so 3-4 minute. Koel af.
Nou vat jy jou sirloinsteaks en plaas hulle in die swart sous. Bedek die vleis met die sous en los vir 30 minute maksimum.
Braai nou die steaks op jou rooster op oop warm kole. As
Dieselfde marinade kan uiteraard op rump T-been en filet gebruik word.
FILET ? HEEL GEBRAAI
Hierdie ware primasnit is nou nie geuriger as sirloin of rump nie maar die malvasag tekstuur is sensueel. Ek hou daarvan om voor die braaislag vir my ?n paar skywe te sny en sommer rou te eet met peper en suurlemoensap.
Hoe ook al ‘n filet braai fantasties op die kole
Smeer die filet met olyfolie sout en peper.
Kry jou kole op die vlak waar jy jou hand vir vier tellings op roosterhoogte kan nou.
Sit filet bo op die rooster. Gee elke kant van die silindriesvormige vleis so ‘n minuut se hitte om te kleur en te siel. Nou draai jy hom elke drie vier minute.
Vir ‘n gewone filet van twee kilogram gaan 20 minute genoeg wees om hom halfgaar te kry warm in die middel maar pienkrooi. So 30 minute hoort jou vleis op die medium-gaarvlak te bring
As jy met ‘n spul gaste sit wie se voorkeure verskil sny die filet in hompe en haal van die kole af soos wat dit vir die verskillende smake benodig word.
Belangrik: ‘n groot snit beesvleis soos hierdie het tyd nodig om te rus nadat dit gebraai is. Hou dus die vleis warm vir so 10 tot 15 minute nadat dit van die kole gehaal is en voor dit bedien word. Dit gee die vloeistof binne-in die weefsel en die lopende vette kans om met mekaar te trou ‘n huwelik wat ‘n verstommende kind genaamd ‘geur’ baar.
Mostert Fillet Steak
Posted by Bertus
Ingredients
Fillet steak
Mostert
Agurtjies
Spek strips
Method
Vat die fillet en “vlek” hom aan die bokant.
Meng mostert en agurkies en druk dit in die fillet. Vou hom toe en draai hom toe met spek strips.
Druk tandestokkies in om die spek vas te hou.
Maak hom gewoonweg gaar.
Traditional Sauce to go with Maize meal Porridge
Posted by Heather Slabbert
Ingredients
- 1 Large onion chopped
- 6 – 8 Large tomatoes blanched
- Garlic
- Oil
- Salt & pepper
- 3 TBSP of chutney
- Worcester sauce – a couple of squirts
- 4 TSP of sugar
Method
- Fry the onion and garlic in a big pot over moderate heat until soft.
- Add peeled and chopped tomatoes as well as remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 1 hour
Bierblik Hoender
Posted by Francois Drury
Ingredients
- Jou gunsteling bier
- Jou gunsteling spices
- Knoffel
- Heel hoender
Method
- Vat ‘n groot sluk van jou gunsteling bier
- Meng jou spice met ‘n bietjie knoffel en spice die hoender.
- Maak die hoender regop sit op die bierblik.
- Vat foelie en maak albei die drumsticks toe aan die onderkant.
- Plaas foelie oor die res van die hoender .
- Moet nie die foelie te styf teen die hoender druk nie.
- Plaas hoender op die kole vir so 1 uur 30 min.
- Dit is die beste hoender wat jy sal proe.
Soet – Suur Hoender Potjie
Posted by Shaun
Ingredients
- 1 kg hoenderstukke goed opgekap
- 500g skulp noodles
- 250g spek
- 1 bottel Sauvignon Blanc
- 500g wit sampioene
- 1 All Gold Mushroom pasta sous
- 1 pakkie hoender noodle sop
- 2 250ml room
- 2 uie
- Olyf olie
Method
- Die pot is n wenner van vele kompetisies en defnitief die moeite werd om te probeer.
- Braai die uie in die olyf olie, tot lekker bruin en sag, voeg die hoender by en laat die pot stadig prut vir 20min.
- Kook die noodles gaar binnenshuis en voeg die spek by die hoender en prut vir n ekstra 10 min.
- Voeg dan die gesnyde sampioene by en laat dit 10 min toe om te kook.
- Oplaas voeg die gekookte pasta en die sop (gemeng in 50ml water), die pasta sous, die room en sout en peper na smaak en laat die pot toe om 20 min te prut.
Bedien met n goeie Chenin Blanc.
Cream Onion Chicken
Posted by Dianna Da Costa
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium green pepper
- 500g chicken breast
- 2 table spoons of oil
- 1 packet royco white onion soup
- 400 ml milk
Method
- In a swartpotjie on coals:
- Fry onion in oil. Add chicken, when chicken is done add green pepper.
- Mix white onion soup and milk and add to chicken.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and serve with rice or pasta
Tongmaster’s Chicken Pot
Posted by Tongmaster
Ingredients
- Chicken drumsticks
- Chicken Thighs
- Oil
- 4 Chopped onions
- 1 TBSP crushed garlic
- 1 TSBP crushed ginger
- Worcester Sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Spices
- 1 Bottle of white wine
- 6 chopped tomatoes
- 1kg baby potatoes
- Butternut
- Sweet Potatoes
- Carrots
- Green Beans
- Tomato Paste
- Green Pepper
- Mushrooms
- 250ml Fresh Cream
Method
- Pot on flames.
- Oil in pot.
- Fry onions, garlic and ginger.
- Add chicken (2 pieces of Chicken per person – this pot is for 10) Worcester sauce, salt, pepper and any other spice required.
- Fry till chicken turns golden brown.
- Add one bottle of white wine.
- Stir the pot ensuring that nothing is sticking to the bottom.
- Add tomaoes and baby potatoes.
- Close the lid. Let simmer.
- The vegetables below should be judged on the number of people, in this case ten.
- When you are in the shop getting the ingredients, imagine serving ten plates of food and doing side dishes with the veggies described. Judge your quantities to equal what you would need to do that. A common mistake would be to have way too many vegetables.
- After 30 minutes, add chunks of butternut, sweet potato and carrot.
- Another 15 minutes, add green beans and tomato paste.
- Another 30 minutes, add green peppers and mushrooms.
- Another 15 minutes, add 250ml fresh cream. Gently toss the whole pot once. Don’t stir vigorously as this will break and disintegrate the vegetables.
- Serve.
Taai Cokehoender
Posted by Lindi Marais
Ingredients
- Hoenderstukke
- Hoenderekstrak
- 2 Koppies Coke
- Sout & Peper
Method
- Plaas hoenderstukke met water en hoenderekstrak in ‘n braaipan en kook tot die vleis gaar is en water weggekook het.
- Gooi 2 koppies coke by en kook/braai die hoender daarin tot dit lekker taai is.
- Voeg sout en peper by.
Spicy Chicken Yogurt Marinade
Posted by Tweens
Ingredients
This makes the chicken super soft when cooked. Lekker!
- Plain yogurt
- Chicken Tikka Paste
- Lemon Juice
- Mrs Balls Chutney
- Salt to taste
Method
- Mix all toghether – let chicken marinade and cook in it
Vark tot Hoender
Posted by Jack
Ingredients
Hierdie marinade kan jy op meer as 1 soort vleis gebruik
- 125ml tamatie blatjang
- 125ml worcester sous
- 1 teelepel knoffel pepper na smaak
- ‘n knippie Italian herbs
- 3 teelepels olyf olie
- 125ml gerasperde uie
Method
- Meng alles saam
- Laat jou vleis oornag in die konkoksie.
Citrum Khumalo’s Spicy Stuffed chicken – As seen on Top Billing
Posted by Citrum Khumalo
Ingredients
- 10 Chicken thighs deboned
- 2 fresh lemons
- 80g piquant peppers
- 30g chillies chopped
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander
Marinade
- ½ onion chopped
- 100g piquant peppers
- 30g mustard
- 60ml lemon juice
- 1 bunch coriander
- 300ml olive oil
- ½ bunch spring onion chopped
Stuffing
- 2 pkt baby spinach blanched and cut into chiffonade
- 250g carrots cut into julienne
- 100g lentils soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 1 red pepper sliced into julienne
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 250g creamy blue cheese
- 80g piquant peppers
- 1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 1 bunch spring onion chopped
- 1 bunch fresh coriander shredded
- 50 ml oil
For Wrapping
- 600g streaky bacon
Side Dish
- 1kg sweet potatoes sliced thinly
- 50ml olive oil 3tbsp chopped coriander
- Salt
- Pepper
- Salsa
- 200g ripe tomatoes blanched peeled and cut into brunoise
- 50ml oil
- ½ bunch coriander
Foil paper
Method
1. flatten chicken thighs rub with salt and squeeze two lemon juice to the chicken, rub with chopped chillies, piquant peppers and a bit of chopped coriander let sit on the side for 15miutes
2. In a mixing bowl mix all the marinade ingredients together until well blended then add the seasoned chicken to the marinade leave to marinade over night or just for over an hour
3. In a skillet heat oil sauté onions until soft, add carrots and peppers continue cooking for 2 minutes then add spinach and all the other ingredients except cheese cook for 7 minutes and remove off the heat crumble and add cheese to the spinach mix until well combined.
4. Spoon on the marinated chicken fold and wrap with bacon
5. Braai on medium heat for 20 minutes then wrap with foil return to the braai then continue cooking for another 10 minutes
6. Brush sweet potatoes with coriander, salt and pepper braai for about 5 minutes
7. Combine chopped tomatoes and coriander with olive oil for salsa
8. Serve chicken with sweet potatoes and accompanying meat and vegetables of your choice
Geurige Hoendervlerkies
Posted by Annaline de Bruyn van Barberton
Ingredients
Hoendervlerkies
Paprika
Borrie
Sout
Peper
Koljander
Komyn
Rooipeper
Method
Maak soveeel hoendervlerkies as wat nodig is skoon en vryf droog.
Knip die vlerkpuntjies af. Vryf in met ‘n droë marinade van paprika borrie.
Braai stadig oor koel kole tot bros buite en sag binne. Geniet die voorgereg!
Lekker Hoender Sosaties
Posted by Unknown
Ingredients
5 Hoender borsies
Suurlemoensap
Hoenderspesirye
Speil
Method
Sny hoender in blokkies
Besprinkel met suurlemoensap en hoenderspeserye. Draai elke blokkie toe in ‘n repie speil
Ryg oor stokkies. So ongeveer 6 stukkies per stokkie
Braai stadig tot gaar.
“Nota: Hierdie is ‘n groot gunsteling onder kinders
Taai Cokehoender
Posted by Lindi Marais
Ingredients
Hoenderstukke
Hoenderekstrak
2 Koppies Coke
Sout & Peper
Method
Plaas hoenderstukke met water en hoenderekstrak in ‘n braaipan en kook tot die vleis gaar is en water weggekook het.
Gooi 2 koppies coke by en kook/braai die hoender daarin tot dit lekker taai is.
Voeg sout en peper by.
Lamb Roast
Posted by Chris Jordan
Ingredients
For a Sunday lunch, get a lamb roast early Saturday morning and make sure it hasn’t been frozen!
- 1.5kg Lamb Roast
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- A handfull fresh Rosemary
- 100ml Meat marinade
- 4 Garlic cloves, quartered
- Handfull fresh lavender finely chopped
- 100ml Honey
- 50ml Olive oil
Method
- Pierce lamb roast and insert garlic ( soos Ouma dit gedoen het)
- Season with the sea salt and pepper
- Grind the rosemary & lavender in a pestle with the oil, honey and marinade
- Rub this mush all over the roast
- Cover and refrigirate – do not freeze!
- Place on a Kettle grill for 2.5 hours, indirect heat, make sure it is browened and cover lighly with tin foil
- When meat starts falling off the bone, remove and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving
- Serve with whatever you like
Jordies Lamb Shank
Posted by Chris Jordan
Ingredients
- Top grade lamb shanks
- Mint
- Italian herbs
- Honey & Mint basting sauce
Method
- Leave lamb in fridge for at least 36 hours, the bright pink will change to a deep reddish color
- Rub lavishly with Mint and Italian Herbs
- Light a fire in a Weber (indirect heat) and place on grill for 73.56 minutes
- Baste with a Honey and Mint baste, turn over and leave for 11.66 minutes
- Take off Weber and let it stand for 5.78 minutes
Please remember to leave the bones for Wagter.
Pistachio sauce & Marinade for Lamb
Posted by Little Sister
Ingredients
2 Garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
1 TSP tomato puree
2 TSPns Cumin seeds
2 TBSP roughly chopped fresh coriander
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 Onion
Black pepper
Method
Just mix all together.
Put your chosen meat and marinade in a plastic food bag
Playing with the package every so often to distribute marinade nicely
Tip: Grind the seeds first before you add the rest for the marinade.
Pistachio Sauce
Ingredients:
150g Shelled pistachio nuts
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Garlic clove
Small bunch chopped flat leave parsley
Couple of chopped mint leaves
1 TBSP water
5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Method:
Crush the nuts in a mortar & pestle or food processor
Mix all the ingredients together.
Braai your meat as you like it and serve with the sauce.
Tips on what to serve with this:
Tabbouleh is ideal with this.
A green salad
A pilaf with tomato and aubergines (all the boerseuns : that is a rice dish) is perfect and makes a special meal.
Some plain boiled baby potatoes.
Grill aubergines on the braai and serve with the meat
Other ideas:
Use the marinade for chicken as well.
Add some ground cinnamon to the marinade and serve with hummus.
Serve with a bowl of Greek yoghurt
Recommendation for the meat:
Neck fillets are deliciously tender. Otherwise I recommend lamb rump steaks
You can use the marinade for choppies but when you have de boned lamb the pistachio sauce works best.
Chop sosaties
Posted by Emile Joubert
Ingredients
3 loin chops per sosatie
Sosatie skewers
Lemon juice
Worcester Sauce
Method
Trim the bone away from the chop leaving the meat and the lovely strip of fat. Skewer three boneless chops on a sosatie skewer or if you are really fancy onto a rosemary stick. Marinade in lemon juice and Worcester sauce for an hour. Braai on hot coals for 4 to 6 minutes
Garlic, Cheese & Peppadew Bread
Posted by Rentia
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Margarine / Butter
- 1/2 cup chopped Peppa Dews
- 1 Table spoon Crushed Garlic
- 1 cup of grated Cheddar Cheese
Method
- Cut French loaf 5cm apart, not right through.
- Mix peppa dew, garlic, grated cheese and margarine together.
- Butter french loaf with mixture, don’t be suinig.
- Cover with foil and put on the braai.
- Enjoy!!!!!!!!!
Kaas & Uie Braai Brood
Posted by Liesie from Gauteng
Ingredients
1 Kg Bruismeel
1 Pakkie wit uie sop
500ml Karringmelk
1 Koppie geresperde kaas
Method
Meng alles saam en gooi uit in gesmeerde brood pannetjie. Bak teen 180 grade vir 1 uur lank.
Haal uit oond en laat effens afkoel in pannetjie.
Keer uit op ou afdroog doek en smeer bietjie margarine of botter aan al die kante van die brood
Vou toe met die doek dan droog dit nie uit nie.
Cream cabbage
Posted by Charlaine
Ingredients
- 1 Whole cabbage
- Tub of cream
- Fresh mushrooms
- Salt & Pepper
- White onion soup
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the cabbage.
- Cover the cabbage with tin foil
- Put this then into your coals like you would do with potatoes ect.
Basted Mushrooms
Posted by toni
Ingredients
- 4 Mushroom steaks (or large brown mushrooms) While braaing,
- baste with a mixture of the juice of 3 large lemons,
- 1/2 cup fresh rosemary (3 Tbs dried rosemary)
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- and about 6 cloves minced garlic.
- Tip: brush some of this over the inside of the mushroom and braai gills side down first, then baste top well and turn over and cook top, keeping the mushroom top down ensure all the juices that gather aren’t lost. Baste the gills.
Method
Tip: brush some of this over the inside of the mushroom and braai gills side down first, then baste top well and turn over and cook top, keeping the mushroom top down ensure all the juices that gather aren’t lost. Baste the gills.
Roasted Vegetables
Posted by Heather Slabbert from Gauteng
Ingredients
Butternut peeled and cut into cubes
Baby marrow cut into 2cm pieces and then halved
Red green and yellow peppers – de-seeded and cut into chunks
Onion cut into quaters
Mini corn
mushrooms
Carrots cut into 2cm pieces cut in halves
Olive oil
Garlic
Ina Paarman’s olive and rosemary spice
Method
Pre heat oven to 200 degrees
Put all the vegetables into a roasted tray drizzeled with oil and herbs and toss well
Put on middle shelf and cook until the butternut is soft.
Tofu veggie kebabs
Posted by Adam Penn-Nicholson
Ingredients
Kebabs
- Extra- firm tofu
- mushrooms, sliced
- Red and/or green pepper, cut into large chunks
- Sweet red onion, cut into large chunks
- Baby marrow/zucchini, cut into large chunks
- Kebab sticks
Marinade
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Peri-peri sauce
- Soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Fresh garlic, finely chopped or minced
- Sesame seeds
Method
- Chop tofu into large chunks and allow to dry at room temperature for 20min.
- Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour
- mixture over the tofu.
- Mix well and leave in sealed container until ready to braai. (you can prepare this the day before).
- Take kebab sticks and soak in water for ten minutes.
- Skewer tofu and veggies on kebab stick
- Baste with olive oil and remaining marinade and place onto braai for 10min, turning occasionally.
- Tip: Other mariades such as peanut sauce, sweet and sour sauce or BBQ sauce are awfully good, too.
Ally’s Super Snoek Recipe
Posted by David Moffat
Ingredients
This recipe is similar to the Kaapse Snoek Braai one, but has a few more ingredients and a slightly different method in preparartion, but goes down well every time! Try it out, best done on a weber using the direct method, brickets nice and white and hot.
- 1 fresh Snoek, salted
- 250g Butter
- 250g Apricot Jam
- 1 large onion
- 1 block Tussers Cheese, grated (about 250-400g, you decide)
- Garlic
- Robinsons Fish Spice
- Heavy Duty Tin Foil
Method
Preparation Fish:
- Rinse the snoek under running cold water and pat dry with paper towel.
- Place the snoek on a piece (or two, the sauce you are going to drown the snoek in must not be able to escape!)) of Heavy duty foil, which is large enough that the sides of the foil can be folded over around the edge of the fish to from a “bakkie” for the fish to lie in.
- Foil must be placed with the shiny side towards the fish.
- Once your fish is in its foil bed, take a fork and lightly pierce the meat a few times to make room for the sauce to explore.
- After you have done this, sprinkle the fish with the fish spice and garlic (Robinsons’ Garlic powder works the best and is easiest).
- Once the fish is well seasoned, chop your onion into a smallish pieces and cover as much as possible of the surface of the fish with the chopped onion.
- You are now ready for the sauce that makes this baby awesome!
Preparation – Sauce
- Melt the butter and Apricot Jam in the microwave till they are well mixed and the sauce is fairly runny.
- Take a tablespoon and begin covering the surface of the fish with sauce. Make sure it gets in everywhere but does’nt escape the bakkie you have made for it to communicate with the fish in.
Braai time!
- Place the fish, net so in die foil bedjie, in the centre of the grid on the weber and leave it to boil in the sauce, no turning necessary, keep the lid off for now.
- Depending on the size of the snoek, takes between 20-30 minutes to cook. You will know it is almost ready when the thickest part of the snoek has about 1-2mm of pink meat left at its highest point (the rest of the fish is white but still soaked in the bubbling sauce).
- At this point, sprinkle your cheese liberally over the fish – the more the better. Place the lid on the weber, vent open, and let the cheese melt for about 4-5 minutes. Take off the flames, grid and all and serve immediately.
- Bon Appevreet!
Braaied Brinjal Steaks
Posted by toni
Ingredients
BRAAIED BRINJAL STEAKS
Allow roughly ½ large brinjal per person, wash and slice lengthways into about 1cm slices.
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lime or small lemon
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine ground himalayan salt
Method
- Combine all ingredients and mix well.
- This marinade works best if it is made a day in advance so the flavors can blend.
- Marinate Brinjal slices for no more than a few minutes.
- Drain and braai, basting as you go.
- Serve with braaied red and yellow peppers and your fave bread and salads.
Musical Beans
Posted by ChefCam from Cape Town
Ingredients
1 Tin Baked beans
1 Banana sliced
2 TBSN mayonaise
Method
Mix altogether and eat
Sardines
Posted by Emile Joubert
Ingredients
Sardines – not from a can. Frozen or Fresh
Method
Thaw the sardines. you do not have to clean them.
The steaming guts add a terrific flavour to the flesh.
This is true.
Get a hot bed of coals.
Rub the sardines with olive oil and rock salt.
Braai as is for 3/4 minutes a side. Eat with a salad and boiled potatoes.
Tip: For the best frozen Sardines imported from Portugal. These are freshly frozen reaching our shores in great shape.
Butternut & feta side dish
Posted by Spicegirl
Ingredients
- 1 butternut, skinned and cut into small chunks
- 1 round of feta cheese
- 1 TBSP fresh thyme
- 3 TBSP fresh chives, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 cup cream
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper
- 1 TBSP butter
Method
- Boil the butternut until half cooked.
- Drain and place in an ovenproof dish.
- Crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with thyme, chives and garlic.
- Mix cream, egg, salt and pepper together and pour over the butternut.
- Dot with butter.
- Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 180°C.
- Serve warm
Garlic Potatoes
Posted by Bianca Bosman
Ingredients
- Baby potatoes
- Head/s of garlic-separated into cloves
- Tin foil
- Blossom light margarine (animal product free)
Method
- Place about 5 potatoes, with a dollop of margerine and a handful of the garlic cloves into tinfoil packages.
- Place on coals
- Leave untill tender and delicious.