4 Ways to change up your Festive Braai

The festive season will be lively and everyone is excited to see family and friends with lots of activities to do and, of course, hosting people for a braai. Maybe this festive it’s time to try playing around with braai recipes rather than your typical boerewors and chicken, let’s spice things up!

1. Spicy tomato and fish kebabs

Method:

• Pat the fish dry with paper towels and arrange in a dish for marinating.
• Rub Mix the ingredients well and pour over the fish. Mix well so the fish is completely coated. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
• Thread the fish onto kebab skewers, alternating with the tomatoes. Braai over hot coal for 10 minutes or until done and slightly charred.
• To serve Sprinkle coarse salt and paprika over (if using) and serve with avo salsa.

2. Beef roasted on the braai stand

Method:

Prepare a beast of a beef roast this year by asking your butcher to trim a beef rib-eye roast on the bone. Blend 10, yes, I said 10, garlic cloves, a handful of rosemary, 1 cup olive oil, 10 anchovy fillets, salt to taste and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cover every inch of the meat in the garlicky goodness and marinate overnight.

Come braai day, seal the meat over hot coals, making sure to brown it evenly all over. Move some of the coals aside and place the meat over enough to create a medium heat. Place a large sheet of foil over the meat while one side is cooking – this helps the meat cook faster. Turn regularly and after about 3 hours you’ll have the most beautifully cooked rib-eye roast, making you look like the ultimate cook. Plus, you get to socialise and chill while it’s cooking.

3. Smog burger

Pizza fans will appreciate that this burger is quite clearly inspired by the SMOG pizza; Salami, Mushroom, Onion and Green Pepper. It’s a globally popular flavour combination for wood-fired pizzas and here we’re adapting it for the South African braai fire.

Method:

Place each chicken breast fillet flat on a chopping board and lightly pound the thick side with a meat mallet, wine bottle, rolling pin, side of a meat cleaver or any other item of sufficient weight and size. You want the whole fillet to be uniform in thickness and this step will make the meat easier to braai, better looking on your burger and softer to bite. Season each chicken fillet with salt and pepper or your favourite braai salt. Either brush each one with oil or simply pour a bit of oil into a bowl and toss the fillets around in it until all are coated. Braai the meat for about 8 minutes over hot coals until it is done. The nice thing about chicken breast fillets is that you can actually see the meat colour changing from raw to ready on the braai.

Cut the rolls in half and toast on the braai, watching them carefully so they don’t burn.

Assemble the burger in this order: Toasted roll, slices of salami, braaied chicken fillets, cheese topped with a generous helping of the onion, peppers and mushroom sauce. Positioning the cheese between the warm chicken breast and sauce will cause it to melt, which is exactly what we want.

Place the lid on the burger and eat with both of your recently washed hands.

4. Pork Schnitzel

The great thing about the braai is that you can make any food on the fire. This schnitzel recipe is based on the original from Germany where it was made on a stove but as always, everything is better around a fire!

Method:

Place the pork steaks on a flat surface, get a rolling pin, wine bottle or anything with enough weight. Use cling wrap and place a layer on top of the meat to protect them and keep them intact while you hit them with your rolling pin, flattening the steaks and making them even all over.

Now construct your work station. Season the flour with salt and pepper and place in a flat bowl. Place the beaten egg in another bowl and the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Start to coat your steaks by first rolling them around in the seasoned flour, then dip them in the egg and lastly cover the steaks with breadcrumbs making sure everything is covered.

Heat a combination of oil and butter in your pan and fry the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes turning often making sure it does not burn. The steaks are thin hence they will be done very quickly.

Remove from the heat and serve this work of art dish with mustard, fresh lemons and a side dish of potato salad.

Source: Woolworths food and Braai.com