#KnowYourHeritage: Four delicious traditional sides to compliment any braai

It’s Heritage Day and millions of South Africans will be celebrating today by gathering around a braai with friends and family.

ALSO READ: Heritage day inspired films worth watching

As anyone knows, a braai is not complete without a delicious side dish or two.

So we have covered with five awesome side dish recipes, guaranteed to make your meal top-notch.

Enjoy!

Mixed beans salad:

Ingredients:
For the dressing:
– 30 ml of lemon juice
– 5 ml Dijon Mustard
– 80 ml olive oil
– One clove of finely crushed garlic
– 5 ml of sugar
– Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the salad:
– Two cans of Three Bean Mix
– One can of Green Beans Cross Cut
– One small diced red onion
– One diced red pepper
– A handful of chopped coriander leaves
– 100 g feta cheese
– Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
– Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
– Season the dressing to taste with the salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
– Pour the three bean mix and the green beans into a large bowl.
– Add the red onion, red pepper and chopped coriander and mix.
– Pour the dressing over the bean salad and stir.
– Crumble the feta cheese into the salad and stir.
– Add more salt and black pepper.

– Traditional Boerewors Braai Pie:

Ingredients:
– Two 500g rolls of ready-made puff pastry
– One lightly whisked egg
– one cup of grated cheddar cheese
– 400 g of cooked boerewors
– One can of Braai Relish
– 45 ml of chopped flat-leaf parsley
Method:
– Unroll one roll of the puff pastry and place it directly on to a clean braai grid.
– Brush the pastry with a little of the egg.
– Leaving a 2 cm border around the edges of the pastry, sprinkle the cheese over the pastry.
– Add the boerewors to the cheese.
– Evenly spread the braai relish over the boerewors and cheese.
– Sprinkle the chopped parsley over.
– Unroll the second roll of puff pastry and place it on top.
– Fold the edges of the bottom layer of pastry over that of the top layer and press gently to seal the edges of the pie.
– Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg.
– Close the grid and braai the pie over medium coals, turning the grid regularly, for 15 minutes.

ALSO READ: #KnowYourHeritage – You know you’re from Newcastle when…

– Potato Salad with class:

Ingredients:
– 600 g of baby potatoes
– 1/2 finely diced red onion
– Four finely sliced baby fennel bulbs
– 15 g baby pea shoots
– 200 g smoked salmon slices
For the dressing:
– 30 ml lemon juice
– 1/3 cup olive oil
– Sea and black pepper to taste
Method:
– Place the lemon juice in a bowl, whisk in the olive oil until combined and season well. Then add the slace sliced onions, fennel, pea shoots and salmon to the mix.
– Boil the potatoes until they are soft.
– Add the dressing mixture while the potatoes are still warm.
– Allow the mixture to set for about 10 minutes.

– Traditional Mielie Bake:

Ingredients:
– One cup maize meal
– 1 3/4 cup of milk
– Four eggs (separated)
– Two tablespoons of sugar
– 1/2 teespoon of salt
– 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
– Two tablespoons of bread flour
– One tablespoon of olive oil
– Two cups of frozen whole-kernel corn
– Two tablespoons of chopped rosemary
– 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar
Method:
– Grease a 20 x 20 cm oven dish or alternatively use a number two potjie pot.
– Prepare your coals like you would for baking bread.
– Mix the maize meal and milk in a saucepan until it forms a smooth mixture.
– Heat slowly while you stir for five to ten minutes or until it’s thick and steaming.
– Remove the pan from the heat.
– Combine the egg yolks with the sugar, salt and pepper and stir this through the pap along with the bread flour and oil.
– Add the mielies, rosemary and half of the cheese.
– Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff, and then fold it into the batter.
– Spoon the batter into the greased dish and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese.
– Put the potjie over the coals and add some some coals on the lid of the potjie.
– Your dish should be ready after about 35 minutes and it should be golden brown and slightly puffy.

– Delicious Bacon wrapped mushrooms:

Ingredients:
– 24 white button mushrooms
– 24 slices of bacon
– 24 soaked toothpicks
– Ready-made Barbeque sauce
Method:
– Wrap each mushroom in a slice of bacon and secure add a toothpick to hold the two together.
– Dip the wraps in barbeque sauce and place on braai.
– Keep on turning the wraps until bacon is crisp.

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