CELEBRATING OUR HERITAGE IN PICTURES
Each week during Heritage Month we share a menu of delicious recipes with a traditional twist from Sandy Wood of Sandy’s Kitchen, plus exciting cocktails and details of how your cooking skills can win you great prizes
WHOLE BRAAIED SNOEK WITH LEMMETJIE SALSA
Serves 6
1 fresh snoek, cleaned and butterflied 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil plus extra
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 30ml (2 tbsp) grated fresh ginger
60ml (4 tbsp) apricot jam
30ml (2 tbsp) chutney
30ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce
5 sprigs fresh thyme and extra for garnish Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Lemmetjie salsa
4 large tomatoes
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeds removed and chopped 125ml (½ cup) fresh coriander
2.5ml (½ tsp) paprika
60ml (4 tbsp) lime juice
To garnish 2 lemons, cut in half and griddled on the braai
Prepare the braai so you have medium heat coals.
Dry the snoek by blotting it with paper towel. Mix together all of your remaining ingredients, the basting for the snoek. Grease the skin side of the snoek with olive oil and a rub of salt.
Baste the inside of the snoek with about half of the glaze. Lay snoek flat and skin-side down on the grid and braai for about 10-15 minutes, re-basting with the remaining glaPzeRas needed. Turn and cook with the fleshside down for about 5 minutes, taking care not to burn it because of the sticky glaze. The fish is cooked through when the meat can be easily flaked apart with a fork.
Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, red pepper and coriander in a food processor and place in a small pan. Add the paprika and lime juice and cook for 5 minutes. The salsa should be slightly sweet with a lime flavour coming through. Serve the snoek topped with the salsa and extra on the side and garnish with lemon halves.
RISOTTO-STYLE SAMP AND BEANS WITH CHARRED MEALIES AND PARMESAN CRISPS
Serves 4
150g Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
2 mealies
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
30ml (2 tbsp) butter plus an extra 30ml
2 x 400g cans samp-and-bean mix, drained and rinsed
250ml (1 cup) cream
30ml (2 tbsp) Italian parsley, finely chopped, plus a little extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
To make the Parmesan crisps, divide the grated Parmesan into 10-15 small mounds and place on an oiled baking tray. Using the palm of your hand, press the cheese down firmly until well compacted. Bake until golden brown and crisp. Cool on a baking rack.
For the charred mealies, bring them to the boil in a pot, covered with salted water. Cook for 8-10 minutes and drain and place on preheated griddle pan and cook on all sides until well charred. Remove from the heat, cool and, using a sharp knife, cut the corn from the husk. Set aside in a small bowl.
For the samp and beans, soften the onion and garlic in butter in a large heavy-based pan over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until translucent.
Add the samp-and-bean mix and cream, stirring until the cream is well absorbed and the texture is similar to that of a risotto. Add the second measurement of butter and parsley. Stir to combine and season to taste.
Serve in a bowl with the shisanyama topped with the charred mealie kernels, Parmesan crisps and a dusting of parsley.
SHISANYAMA
Kick off Heritage Month by celebrating with family and friends over a shisanyama. Here I share my favourite recipe using beef rib on the bone because it’s so juicy and tender with a lovely bone to nibble on.
Beef rib eye — allow 300g meat per person to be served
60ml (4 tbsp) finely chopped rosemary leaves 60ml (4 tbsp) finely chopped thyme leaves A good grinding of Weber’s Madagascan black pepper
A good grinding of Weber’s Kalahari Dessert salt
A good splash of olive oil
Remove the meat from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Combine the herbs and seasonings with the olive oil. Baste the meat with the mixture and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to braai. Ensure the fire is really hot and the coals have burnt to a chalky grey before placing the meat on the braai. Turn the rib eye often as this helps to lock in the moisture and flavour of the meat.
Once cooked, allow to rest for 10 minutes, covered loosely with tin foil.
FITCH & LEEDES HOPE AFRICAN GIN COCKTAIL
MAKES 1
50ml Hope African Botanical Gin
5-10ml (1-2tsp) thyme-infused sugar syrup, adjust to taste
5-10ml (1-2 tsp) lemon juice
1 can Fitch & Leedes Indian tonic
Garnish
Fresh thyme and mint Slice of grapefruit
Combine the gin, sugar syrup and lemon juice. Pour into a glass and pour over the tonic. Stir to mix. Top up with ice and finish off with a garnish with the thyme, mint and grapefruit and serve.
MALVA PUDDING MUGS
SERVES 6
Batter
120g (1 cup) cake flour
5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda A pinch of salt
1 egg
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
15ml (1 tbsp) apricot jam
Zest of 1 orange
15ml (1 tbsp) melted butter 5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice
250ml (1 cup) milk
Butter for greasing
Sauce
Half a can of condensed milk 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream 60ml (¼ cup) Amarula Cream Pinch of ground nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease 8 enamel mugs with a little butter. If you don’t have enamel cups, simply grease a baking dish.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl cream together the egg and caster sugar and add the apricot jam, orange zest, melted butter and lemon juice using a hand beater. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid creamed ingredients and mix well.
Divide the batter between the enamel mugs and bake for 20 minutes for individual puddings – or 30 minutes for a large pudding.
To make the sauce, heat all the ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan and pour over the puddings as soon as they come out of the oven, making holes in the surface of the puddings with a fork or skewer so that the sauce soaks in. Serve with cream, custard or ice cream.
TIP: Weber’s new Backyard Shisanyama Spice is a blend of the finest herbs and spices to give shisanyama that classic braai flavour without any of the hassle.
weberseasonings.co.za