Braai

In South Africa, among other countries, braai is a social custom. My South African / Canadian / Indian friends had such a party on Friday night. It was a particularly pleasant evening after many days of drizzly rain and dark skies. For the first time in a while, the sun shone brightly in a blue sky and everybody was immediately happy, drink in hand and a beef rib or morsel of chicken in the other. The word braai itself literally means grilled meat and there was no shortage of the flesh on Friday. In fact, I don't think there were any vegetables at all. No salad, corn or the vegetable kebab usually provided for pesky vegetarians, just meat, meat, meat, charred, savoury and mouth-watering. 

I tried two new recipes for this get together. Things I have been keen to try for quite some time. In a previous post I mentioned the 'chicken on a beer can' technique, something that seemed to pass by without much detail in a drunken haze. I can't promise this time was a sober affair, but I managed to take a few more photos, (though still not as many as I should have).

 

As tasty and succulent as the beer steaming inside a chicken is, I really wanted to have a bash at the coconut milk version. The book provided a recipe for a fragrant, Thai inspired spice paste to marinate the chicken pre cooking and also a coconut - peanut sauce for serving along side. I made the spice paste and then decided I really needed a break after coming home from work, cleaning the apartment and cooking. Anyway, my South African / Canadian / Indian friend is a hot sauce fiend, if anyone had a sauce to accompany grilled meat, it's him. 

A few years ago, I bought a metal stand designed just for this dish. The beer can sits comfortably inside and the chicken is much easier to balance with the extra support. Thinking it would take maybe 2 hours to cook a 6 pound bird, we hastily put it on the gas grill and closed the lid, basting with a little spice paste and marinade every now and then. We finally ate the chicken at midnight, it having taken three and a half hours plus another 20 minutes of being blasted on the grill after being cut in half. It was worth it though, the chicken being tender, juicy and flavourful, although sadly, everyone commented that they couldn't taste the coconut milk. Beer it is again next time then. Recipe at bottom of post

 

The other  thing I really wanted to try and which turned out to be a huge success, was cedar planked fish. Unable to find any salmon at a reasonable enough price, I bought a large pink, grey and red skinned trout. The cedar is basically a plank, cut to size and soaked in cold water for several hours. On the charcoal barbecue it smolders away slowly on very gentle heat until the fish is cooked, imparting a smoky, woody taste to the fish which intensifies it's sweetness.

Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon juice, lemon slices and some fennel from the back lane, the fish was outstanding. Sweet, delicate pink flakes which were meaty and toothsome were flavoured robustly with the cedar. Even the 7 year old daughter liked it, eating almost half of the plate herself. 

The plank is supposed to be re-usable, but half had completely turned to charcoal. We cut it in half and are going to try and use it again. Only once the wood has started to dry out on the coals and begins to smoulder, does it release flavour, but, of course, by then it is beginning to burn a little.

 A huge piece of T-bone steak, marinated and grilled on the charcoal barbecue.

 

Chicken breasts, flattened and marinated. One with Thai spices and the other with tandoori. I believe if you want succulent, juicy chicken, you should gently and tenderly braise or brine. You ain't gonna' get it from most barbecues. Paranoia of food poisoning has resulted in barbecued chicken that is cooked to death. The skin will be flavourful and crispy, but you're probably going to find that breast a little on the dry side. No matter, just pour on lots of interesting sauces and you're fine.

How a kebab should be, all meat. Tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms have their place, but not with the meat, which will take longer to cook, so the vegetables burn. I used to make kebabs with a piece of sausage, a chunk of lamb, some mushrooms, tomatoes and onion. These days I would be more likely to grind up some meat and add some Asian flavours and cook the veggies separately in a piece of tin foil. 

South African sausage. Boerewors, as they are known are incredibly dense and meaty, even a little dry, but very tasty. made from game or beef, with lamb or pork mixed in, they are seasoned with coriander and vinegar, typically. Spiraled like the British Cumberland sausage, they are traditionally cooked on a braai. Our friends almost always have them, but I don't know their secret source. 

 

Beef ribs

The sausage, cut and ready to go.

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Baby's first braai.

 

Another South African speciality; Bredie. Tomato and onion 'gravy', it is made to accompany grilled meats. So simple to prepare, it's flavour is intense and perfectly complements the charred edges of the meat. Recipe at bottom of post.

 

And to finish the evening; chocolate trifle. I can't give you a recipe or even a general ball park idea, as I was too busy stuffing it down my face and making lots of mmmmm sounds to even think about asking. I do remember some sort of sponge cake at the bottom, soaked in alcohol laced chocolate sauce, lots of whipped cream and lots more chocolate sauce. Sorry to be such a tease.

Recipe : Thai chicken on a can of coconut milk
(Adapted from 'Beer can chicken' by Steven Raichlen)

For the paste

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

3 tbsp cilantro

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp lemon zest

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 chicken between 4 - 6 pounds

Whizz up the paste in a food processor and reserve 1 tbsp.

Rub the remaining paste all over the chicken and cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and refrigerate for several hours. 

To cook

1 can coconut milk

Open the coconut milk and pour about 1/3 into a bowl with the reserved spice paste. This will be your basting sauce. 

Find an empty beer can (shouldn't be too difficult) and rinse it in cold water. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the can of coconut milk into the beer can. 

Over medium hot heat on a gas barbecue, stand the chicken on top of the beer can so that the can acts like a tripod, steadying the chicken. It has to remain upright the whole time. If you have a stand like I mentioned before, the job is much easier. Close the lid of the barbecue and cook the chicken for at least 1.5 - 2 hours, basting frequently and checking it is browning well.
Check the chicken is cooked by the various methods available, (I stick with the old classic: pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer and look at the juices. If clear, it's cooked, any pink and pop it back for a little while). 

Very carefully remove the chicken from the can and carve into slices. A nice peanut sauce would work well here, as it would have done on Friday if I wasn't so lazy. Here's one to try:

Peanut sauce

3 tbsp creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp water
1 and 1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Blend together well in a small processor

Recipe : Cedar planked trout
1 piece of trout, about 1 lb
1 lemon, half sliced into thin slices
2 tsp salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
4 - 6 large fronds of fennel or other herb

1 piece of cedar for grilling

Following the manufacturer's instructions, the cedar should be soaked for at least 4 hours.

Place the the trout directly onto the cedar and lay the lemon slices on top. Squeeze the other half of the lemon all over the fish, season with the salt and pepper and lay the fennel or other herb on top.

Place the piece of cedar with the fish straight onto the grill, which should be medium to low or even indirect heat. Close the lid.

Gradually, the cedar will dry out and start to smolder slowly, releasing the aroma that will permeate the fish. This could take a long time, ours took almost 45 minutes. Keep checking and ensure the cedar does not catch on fire, keep a water spray handy. 

Once the fish is cooked, remove it from the board and cut into slices. Serve with some tartare sauce or mayonnaise spiked with some extra lemon juice and fennel. 

We tried to wash and re-use the cedar, (even putting it through the dishwasher), but the flavourful fragrance had gone.

Recipe : Bredie (South African tomato and onion gravy)

1 onion, chopped finely

1 tbsp oil

3 medium tomatoes, chopped small

1 tsp brown sugar

A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onion. Fry until fragrant and starting to colour. Add the tomatoes, lower the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have softened and are turning to a mush. 

Add the sugar and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Serve with any grilled meat.