A widespread South African practice. called “braai”, involves grilling or cooking over coals or an open flame. While the meat at a braai is frequently the star of the show, the sides and salads can be just as crucial in completing the meal.
Some suggestions for mouthwatering braai sides and salads to serve at your upcoming braai:
Avocado braai salad
Serves: 4-6
Dressing ingredients
¼ cup honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup poppy seeds
Salad ingredients
1 red onion, sliced
6 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced
2 naartjies, broken into segments
100g caramelised pecan nuts
Method
Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a screw-top bottle. Shake to combine.
In a small bowl, marinate the red onion in the dressing for 5 to 10 minutes.
Arrange the avocado, naartjies and nuts on a platter and pour the dressing and marinated onions over the salad. Serve immediately.
Recipe from South African Avocado Growers’ Association.
Sharmeen Inarman’s cornbread
Ingredients
1 can sweetcorn or 2 grated mealies
2 eggs
250g butter
250g cheddar
Chopped chillies to taste
Salt to taste
1.5 cup self-raising flour
Milk if required
Method
Combine all the ingredients into a firm batter.
Bake at 170ºC for 30 to 45 minutes.
Siba Mtongana’s potato salad
Ingredients
1kg Jersey Royals or Cornish New potatoes
4 tbs mayonnaise
2 tbs wholegrain mustard
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon juice
Salad onions, finely sliced
8 pickled cucumbers, chopped
1 tbs Cooks’ Ingredients Nonpareille Capers, drained
25g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
20g pack fresh tarragon, leaves finely chopped
Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, oil and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Drain the potatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid, and leave to steam for a couple of minutes. Halve the warm potatoes and add to the mayonnaise mixture with the reserved cooking water. Toss to combine then set aside to cool.
Once cool, stir through the remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Angela Day’s biltong garlic scrolls
Makes: 16-18
Ingredients
Filling
125g butter, softened
15ml chopped garlic
250ml finely grated biltong
125ml chopped parsley
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Dough
4 x 250ml flour
10g sachet instant yeast
15ml sugar
10ml salt
45ml olive oil
300-400ml warm water
Method
Filling
Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
Dough
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Add the olive oil and enough warm water to make a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Knead the dough well, until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into an oiled plastic bag and set aside in a warm place to rise.
When the dough has risen, remove it from the bag and roll it out into a rectangle about 40x20cm.
Spread with the filling. Roll up from the long side to form a log.
Cut the log into about 3cm thick slices and pack into a well-greased oven pan.
Cover and set aside to rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and baked through.
Remove from the oven and turn on a cooling rack. Delicious served warm.
Recipe by the South African Poultry Association.
Microwave volcano mealie bread
Serves: 8
Ingredients
420g tin cream-style sweetcorn
2 eggs
tbs sunflower oil
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup cheddar, grated
Method
Combine the sweetcorn, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Stir in the flour. Pour into a 21cm silicon ring cake mould.
Microwave for about 8 minutes or until a testing skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Turn the bread out onto a microwave-safe serving dish.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the bread and into the centre. Microwave for about 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Serving suggestions: Use a blowtorch to char the melted cheese, if you like. Enjoy as a braai side or serve with butter, tomato-chilli jam and jammy eggs as a starter.