Never diss a side dish

These flavoursome and simple side dishes go perfectly with the chops and wors on the coals – and they’re super-easy to make while camping, too.

MUSHROOM “BRAAI PIE” WITH MUSTARD SAUCE Easy as pie

The star of this simple pie is the white sauce, flavoured with mustard.

Ingredients

(enough for 6-8)

6 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped

500 g mushrooms, sliced

2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 tablespoons flour

200 ml milk

2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard salt and black pepper to taste

2 rolls puff pastry, defrosted

Here’s how

1 Melt 4 tablespoons butter and fry the onion and mushrooms with the thyme until cooked. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside. 3 Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add the flour. Stir until the mixture forms a smooth paste and fry for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the milk, bit by bit, until you have a thick white sauce. Stir in the mustard and add salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. 4 Roll out one roll of pastry on a chopping board. Spoon and paste the white sauce onto the pastry, leaving an edge of about 2 cm. Brush this edge with a little water. 5 Spoon the mushroom mix evenly on top of the white sauce. Roll out the second roll of pastry and place on top of the filling. Seal the edges right around. 6 Brush some oil over a clean grid. Place one side of the grid on top of the pastry and turn it over, so the pie and cutting board rest on top of the grid. Remove the cutting board, and close the grid. Braai the pie over medium coals till it’s crispy and cooked through.

go! Drive & Camp says In a hurry? Mix some wholegrain mustard into a supermarket ready-made white sauce.

SWEET POTATO SALAD Bring it on!

Sweet potato is a versatile veggie you don’t need to refrigerate – perfect for camping.

Ingredients

(enough for 6)

4 tablespoons butter

2 big sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3 wheels feta, crumbed

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 slices white bread

FOR THE DRESSING

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Here’s how

1 Heat the butter in a large pan or flat-bottom potjie. Fry the sweet potato until it’s brown all over. (Make sure the cubes are in a single layer, so they don’t get watery and soft.) 2 Dish the sweet potato into a salad bowl and sprinkle with the feta and spring onions. 3 Braai the bread over the coals till crispy, and cut into tiny squares. 4 Mix all the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Sprinkle the bread on top and serve immediately.

go! Drive & Camp says Buy a ready-made dressing with a balsamic base, to pack fewer ingredients.