Braai Day menus with a fusion of SA tastes

Students at the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine and the Hospitality Trainers and Associates (HTA) School of Culinary Art were asked to suggest Braai Day menus that incorporate traditional South African favourites.

On the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine menu are kettle braai pizzas with a fusion of South African toppings; stuffed baked butternut; and a malva pudding with fruit compote. The HTA School of Culinary Art’s menu includes lager-marinated chicken; feta and biltong salad; and grilled line fish with Cape Malay fennel and apricot chutney, served on grilled bell peppers.

Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine menu

Kettle braai pizza

(Notes: Makes about 4 pizzas, depending on the thickness; make the pizza dough the day before; Weber pizza stone needed.)

Ingredients for Graeme Taute’s rustic artisan pizza base:

770g white bread flour

2¼ t salt

1½ t instant yeast

680ml ice water

• Pour the ice water into the bowl of your mixer. Add the dry ingredients and mix at a low speed using a paddle attachment until the ingredients come together. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
• Continue mixing for 5–6 minutes at a high speed. The dough should begin releasing from the sides of the bowl but still stick to the bottom. If it doesn’t release from the sides, gradually add more flour, one teaspoon at a time, until it does. If the dough seems too stiff and has released from both the bottom and sides, dribble in more water.
• Once mixed, transfer to a well-oiled bowl, mist the top with spray oil, cover with cling film, and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it ferment at room temperature for 2–3 hours until doubled in size.

Extras needed:

125ml cake flour; 100g salted butter, melted

Pizza toppings:

Biltong, droëwors, Mrs Balls chakalaka flavoured chutney, dhanya (coriander) and grated Boerenkaas.

• On the Weber kettle-direct heat, place the Weber Pizza Stone with Handles. Keep the lid on and heat the stone to sizzling. Dust the stone with cake flour. Drop about 500ml of the dough out onto the pizza stone and use the back of a large spoon to spread the dough out as thinly as possible, creating a rustic look. If the mixture sticks to the spoon, dip it in flour.
• With a pastry brush, brush the top of the pizza dough with melted butter to add extra flavour.
• Spread the fillings all over the pizza base as quickly as possible.
• Place the lid back on. The pizza takes about 5–10 minutes. Once the base is cooked, the pizza will lift from the pizza stone easily.

Stuffed sundried tomato, olive and feta baked butternut (on Weber Genesis or oven)

Ingredients:

1.5kg or 2 butternuts

50g sundried tomatoes

30g capers

2 slices bread, broken into small pieces

33g olives, pitted

50g chopped onions

2 eggs, lightly whisked

120g feta

Salt and pepper to season

12 g Cornflakes

50g salted butter

• Slice the butternuts in half, take out the seeds. Place into a pot of boiling water. Cook for about 30–45 minutes, under tender.
• Scrape some of the butternut out to make channels for the stuffing.
• Mix together the tomatoes, capes, bread, olives, onions, eggs, pureed extra butternut, and feta. Season well.
• Top with Cornflakes and butter.
• Bake for around 40 minutes in a medium-heat oven.

Chocolate and cinnamon malva pudding

(Notes: makes 2l</em