RECIPES – Delicious braai sides

With summer upon us, it is also time to dust off the grill as it’s braai season. Boost your meal this summer with some unusual, but delicious braai sides.

Biltong, mushroom and feta pap tart

PHOTO: Illanique van Aswegen

Layered biltong, mushroom and feta pap tart

Serves 4-6

Pap:
750ml (3 cups) warm water
2.5ml (½ tsp) fine salt
15ml (1tbsp) butter
250ml (1 cup) maize meal
250ml (1 cup) fresh or frozen corn kernels

Filling:
15ml (1tbsp) olive oil
½ (75g) red onion, diced
250g mushrooms, sliced
5ml (1tsp) garlic, crushed
15ml (1tbsp) chives
180g (1 cup) sliced biltong
100g (1 cup) feta, crumbled
250ml (1 cup) cream
125ml (½ cup) Gruyere cheese, grated
Fresh basil, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. For the pap, place the water and salt in a pot and bring it up to a boil. Stir in the butter and then whisk in the pap. Turn the heat down, cover with a lid and cook it over very low heat for 15 minutes. Whisk twice during cooking to get rid of any lumps.

3. Stir in the corn and cook for a further 5 minutes.

4. For the filling, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Gently sauté the onion for 5 minutes until tender. Turn up the heat and add in the mushrooms. Fry for 3-4 minutes and then add the garlic and fry for another minute. Stir in the chives and lightly season the mixture.

5. To assemble the tert, place half of the pap at the bottom of a 15cm x 20cm ovenproof dish. Add the mushroom filling on top. Add a layer of biltong and then the crumbled feta.

6. Pour over half of the cream and then the rest of the pap. Neaten the edges so that all of the filling is covered. Pour over the rest of the cream and then scatter the grated Gruyere on top.

7. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Scatter some fresh basil on top and serve.

Tips:
* You can easily replace the biltong with cooked bacon bits or for a vegetarian option try adding some sautéed butternut or baby marrows instead.

* Experiment by using your favourite cheese for this recipe. Blue cheese, Cheddar, Gouda, goats cheese and Mozzarella can all work. Each one will add a different flavour to the dish.

* If you want to save some time, then fully prepare the tart the night before but don’t bake it. Cover and keep it in the fridge until needed. Bake it slightly longer before the braai as everything in the pap tert will need heating up.

Quirky pap idea – pap nuggets

Turn pap into ‘pap nuggets’ by making a firmer pap mixture. Flavour it with grated cheese and chopped soft herbs like basil or chives. Let it cool to the point where you are able to handle it with your hands.

Form it into balls and then crumb it with some panko crumbs – dip each ball into seasoned flour and then into some egg wash and lastly into a bit of panko crumbs.

Deep fry the nuggets and serve with a creamy chakalaka sauce.

Written by food stylist and photographer, Illanique van Aswegen.
Bacon and mielie bread

PHOTO: Simply Delicious

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutess
 
Ingredients:

250g bacon, diced
625ml all purpose (cake) flour
10ml baking powder
15ml sugar
15ml salt
4 large eggs
125ml butter, melted
250ml milk
410g whole corn kernels
200g cream style sweetcorn
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C and grease a standard-sized loaf tin. Fry the chopped bacon in a very hot pan until slightly crisp. Meanwhile, sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Beat together the eggs, butter and milk and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Fold in the corn and bacon and pour into the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the loaf and place into the oven. Bake for 60-75 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. If the loaf is browning too fast, turn the heat down.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool down for 5 minutes before removing from the tray.

Braaied potato halves

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 potatoes (or one per person)
Olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Dried mixed herbs

Method

Wash the potatoes and boil in their jackets until just tender – you should just be able to get a sharp knife through the centre – be careful not to overcook, or it will be difficult to braai them. Drain the water and leave to cool. Split each potato in half lengthwise. Score each half with a sharp knife to allow the olive oil to soak in (or prick thoroughly with a fork), taking care not to go through the skins. Arrange on a plate, pour over some olive oil, rubbing it into the skins. On the cut side, grind over the seasonings, sprinkle with herbs, then turn the potatoes cut side down to soak in the oil. About 20 to 30 minutes before your meat is done, place the potatoes on the grid over hot coals, starting with skin side down, and then turning them regularly.

Warm avocado salad with chorizo

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
 
Ingredients:

150g variety of young salad leaves
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
4ml salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
160g chorizo, sliced
2 large, ripe avocados, halved, pip removed, and sliced
30ml balsamic vinegar
1 pinch sugar
1 ciabatta, torn into small pieces
60ml olive oil

Method

Heat 30ml of the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the pieces of torn ciabatta for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Drain the croutons on kitchen towel. Fry the slices of chorizo in the same frying pan until golden brown on both sides (don’t use more oil – the sausage will release fat). Increase the temperature and add the cherry tomatoes. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to soften. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix the avocado, salad leaves and remaining olive oil and arrange on a salad platter. Place the chorizo, tomatoes and croutons on top and drizzle the pan juices over the salad. Serve immediately.
Source: www.food24.com