The proof is in the fire

Aggeneys, Jeffreys Bay, Cradock, Oudtshoorn, Wellington, Robertson, Stilbaai, Malmesbury… The platteland is well represented among the 20 participants in the cooking reality series Kokkedoor Vuur & Vlam, which was filmed in Struisbaai in the Overberg, and is broadcast on Thursdays at 20:00 on kykNET (DStv channel 144).

Participants have to cook everything in the flames, over the coals, in the ash or on a grid, and try to impress the judges, awardwinning chef Bertus Basson and braai guru Kobus Botha. There are 20 contestants: 10 with no formal training or professional experience; and 10 who have qualifications and/or experience working in a professional kitchen.

Here is a delicious recipe for Braai Day from Errieda du Toit, content producer on Kokkedoor Vuur & Vlam, specially for Platteland readers.

A local delicacy

To Errieda, skilpadjies represent everything that is exceptional about the South African braai. It’s also about being hospitable: skilpadjies make great snacks or finger food that you can offer guests hot off the braai grid. What’s more, a skilpadjie is a delicacy – it’s very similar to the French crépinette, a small, flattened sausage parcel wrapped in a thin casing of caul fat and grilled over the coals. (Caul is a lacy membrane of fat that surrounds the digestive organs of pigs, sheep and cattle – enquire at your butchery.)

Skilpadjies

As is the tradition among French fishermen and sheep farmers in the south-west of France, Errieda likes to serve her home-made skilpadjies with fresh oysters, a mignonette (a classic sauce made from vinegar and shallots) and white wine.

8–10

Serves Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15–20 minutes

YOU NEED

• 1 kg lamb’s liver, cleaned

• 100 g kidney suet

• 1 slice of bread, crumbled

• cup (80 ml) milk

• 1 ml finely grated nutmeg

• a pinch of ground cloves

• 1 small onion, chopped finely

• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) brown vinegar

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce

• 1 piece of lamb caul

HERE’S HOW

Rinse the caul in warm water. If it’s tough, allow it to soak in the water until soft. Dice or mince the liver and kidney suet.

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until soft. Add the bread mixture to the liver mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients, except the caul.

Spread out the caul on a cutting board and cut off the thickest parts. Slice the thin caul into squares of about 10 cm x 10 cm. Place a heaped spoonful of the liver mixture on each square and fold the caul neatly to enclose the filling; secure it with toothpicks and sew it up with coarse yarn.

Braai the skilpadjies for 15 minutes over medium coals, until the fat is crisp and golden brown.

TIPS

• Serve skilpadjies with something acidic to cut through the fat. Braai lemon halves over the coals and serve them with the skilpadjies.

• Another option is to reduce verjuice and drizzle some over the cooked skilpadjies.

• Serve skilpadjies with a sauce made with 125 ml good vinegar, 15 ml freshly ground black or white pepper, and 30 ml finely chopped shallots or red onion.