Time for a Break but still Braaiing!

November 20, 2013 by Larry Susman in Big Green Egg, Braai, Food Websites

Time for a Break but still Braaiing!

Well, unfortunately or fortunately things are mad at work as we get ready for the festive season (don't forget to get your orders in early www.biltong.co.uk) and as a result my blogging has suffered. So I have decided to take a little break over the winter on the blogging side but I can assure you that I have not stopped Braaiing. I will be back in the Spring with loads of new recipes for you all to try during next summer, lets hope it's as good as this one was.

Please stay in touch and keep on sending me your ideas on what to braai, as this is one of the hardest things to decide, especially when it's something different each time! I will be posting updates to some of the recipes over the winter as I make what I think is improvements, so keep coming back to see what's new. I will try to get a blog up on what I will be cooking for Christmas this year, for those who have requested it. My kids are now insisting that I cook the festive lunch on the Braai regardless of what the weather is like, LOL.

Once again thanks for all your continued support and keep on braaiing.

Best wishes,

Larry

Goan Curry on the Braai

September 19, 2013 by Larry Susman in Beef, Big Green Egg, Braai, Curries, Food Websites, Hot & Spicy, Meat, national braai day, Recipes

Goan Curry on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Well, I hope that you have all been braaiing since my last blog, I know I have! Sorry for the long break but I had a bit of a rest and unfortunately my mother passed away during this time so my not blogging was not all due to me enjoying myself, many thanks to those who sent there condolences it was greatly appreciated.

It looks like the fantastic summer we have had, has come to an abrupt end but that doesn’t mean that you have to stop braaiing just because the sun’s not shining. What’s needed is a change of what you cook going forward for the next few months and I’m going to start with a curry that I’ve never cooked before. Goan Beef Curry, which is a dryish curry with strong flavours and I’m going to add some potatoes while it cooks so that I don’t have to make two separate dishes today. You can use any cut of beef but why spend a lot of money on rump or sirloin when you are going to cook this slowly for some time and braising or stewing steak will be even better, when it’s cooked this way. Let jump right in…

SERVES 6: PREP: 15MINS: COOK TIME: 1½HRS

Ingredients:

1kg braising or stewing steak cut into 2.5 cm cubes
4 x Large potatoes chopped into largish pieces
2 x Brown onions finely chopped
6 x Cardamom pods deseeded
1tsp Fennel seeds
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
½ tsp Ground black pepper
3tsp Coriander seeds
3tsp Cumin seeds
½tsp Ground turmeric
2tsp Chilli powder
8 x Cloves
10cm Cinnamon stick
6 x Garlic cloves finely chopped
10cm Piece of ginger, grated
125ml Olive oil
100g Creamed coconut dissolved in 310ml water, or 310ml coconut milk

Method how to prepare:

Preheat the Braai to 200°C (400°F) Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and grind them in a spice grinder or with a pestle & mortar, along with the fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, fenugreek seeds, black pepper and the coriander and cumin seeds, until they form a fine powder.
Heat the oil in a tagine, potjie pot, heavy-based frying pan or casserole dish over medium heat and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until lightly browned.
Add the meat and fry until brown all over.
Add all the spices and fry for 1 minute. Add the creamed coconut and bring slowly to the boil.
Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
Remove the lid and add the potatoes into the curry, push them down below the surface so that they are totally covered.
Replace the lid and cook for a further 45 minutes.
If the liquid evaporates during cooking, add about 185 ml (3/4 cup) boiling water and stir to make a thick sauce.
If the sauce is still too liquid at the end of the cooking time, simmer with the lid off until it evaporates. Season with salt, to taste.

This Goan curry had such a fantastic aroma it just brought a smile to my face to think that I had created this from scratch, no packets or bottles of sauce anywhere. I served it with some plain steamed basmati rice, sambals and a large dollop of Mrs Ball chutney. Give this a go even if you don’t cook it on the braai, it’s really worth the little time it takes and I’m sure it wont be the last time you cook this either.

Until next time keep on braaiing!

P.S. don’t forget that next week is National Braai Day back in SA and now all over the world. So if you decide to have some friends around for a braai take some pics and share them with me and I will post them up on the blog for all to see. Keep well Larry

Flapjack on the Braai

August 16, 2013 by Larry Susman in Baking, Big Green Egg, Braai, Cakes, Food Websites, Recipes

Flapjack on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Well the weathers changed in the UK and I suspect the summer is nearly over but it’s not time to put your braai away yet! This week I’m making something special for Paul and Suzie who requested this recipe from Jan, especially after trying it at my place a couple of weeks ago over a cup of coffee. This is a great afternoon snack that’s almost good for you but will definitely make you smile. You don’t need to do this on the braai but it’s fun if you do and you will get that nutty wood taste as an extra bonus.

SERVES 4-6: PREP: 5MINS: COOK TIME: 25MINS

Ingredients:

170g x Butter melted
85g x Demerara sugar
225g x Porrige Oats
100g x Seed Mix (pumkin, sunflower, linseed and seasame)
120ml x Golden Syrup (I used Illovo from back home)

Method how to prepare flapjack:

Preheat the Braai (oven) to 190°C (375°F)
Melt the butter in a pan.
Add the sugar and surup and mix together.
Stir in the seeds and porrige oats and give it a good mix.
Pour into a 20cm x 30cm x 3cm greaced baking tin and press down hard with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 25mins on the top shelf, until it goes golden brown.
Cut into squares whilst its still hot and leave to cool.

This is such a quick and easy recipe but man it’s the best flapjack you will find around. Just make yourself a cup of coffee and sit down to a great afternoon snack, give it a try and let us know if you agree. It's healthy but not slimming so don’t get carried away and eat to much as I did!

Have a great weekend, best regards Larry.

Need a replacement Grid for your Braai?

August 09, 2013 by Larry Susman in Big Green Egg, Braai, Food Websites, Pizza, Stir Fry, Vegetables, Replacement parts

Need a replacement Grid for your Braai/BigGreenEgg

Well I've had a week off from blogging but not braaiing and I'm back in the groove again but as I mentioned, with a twist. This week I'm going to review a replacement Braai Grid that was kindly sent to me by the good people at Craycourt. If your braai has suffered over the winter or you've just not looked after it and it's seen better days then help is at hand. I came across Craycourt some time ago and I've recommended them to others but it struck me that there must be plenty of you who could do with a new grid!

They specialise in replacement Cast Iron Grids for pretty much all sizes and types of braai. Even for gas braais (god forbid) as well as charcoal with ranges for Webber and BigGreenEgg as well as others. Their pre-seasoned grill grids take your braaiing to the next level and with a little care they will last you a lifetime. Another great reason for having a cast iron grid is that they heat up quickly and they will hold the heat much longer than stainless or aluminium grids. See them here!

They sent me one for my XL BigGreeEgg Braai and it arrived quickly and was packed very well. What I like about these grids is that they are in quarters, which makes lifting them out so much easier and you can lift just one piece if you need to add more coals or some wood chipping for smoking. You can see from the photos that it's so simple to set up that any "doos" can do it.

I gave it a quick wash before using and that's all. On firing up there were no smells or nasty tastes coming off the grid as Craycourt had done a great job in pre-seasoning it. I chucked some PeriPeri chicken wings, Sosaties and some lamb chops on it and before you can say Braai they were ready. Because the cast iron gets a lot hotter and holds the heat better your meat will cook that bit quicker and leave those fantastic searing marks that make you look like a professional chef!

Before you say "why did I need a new grid" I didn't but the time will come when you and I will. Most people just throw their old braais away and buy a new one, when really all that's wrong with them is that the grid has burnt away or gone rusty beyond repair. This is when this company will save you a load of bucks. Their prices start at £27 for a 14.5inch grid up to £69.00 for the 27inch one I received. They even have lifters for £6.53 and you can also convert some of the quarters to flat grills (flat on one side and ribbed on the other) so that you can cook eggs, onions etc. There's also a pizza stone and a wok in the range, there's no limit to what you can do now. What great ideas these are and they will make your braai that bit more versatile as an all year round cooker for a very reasonable price. This is great if you're a braai nut like myself.

Cleaning is easy, just fire up the braai to max for a couple of minutes and then brush the grate clean in seconds! Once it's cooled down just wipe over with a little olive oil and its ready to go next time you want to braai. Keep it clean, a clean braai cooks better, that's a fact and you don't get as many flare-ups with a clean grill. So if your braai needs a revamp these are the guys that can do it for you and I can highly recommend them, buy direct from their web site http://www.cast-iron-grate.com/uk/.

Until next time, happy braaiing.

Quail & Guinea Fowl braaied over Kameeldoring Wood

July 26, 2013 by Larry Susman in Baking, Big Green Egg, Braai, Chicken, Food Websites, Recipes, Roasts, Salads, Smoking, Vegetables

Quail & Guinea Fowl braaied over Kameeldoring Wood with Grape, Mascarpone & Tarragon stuffing on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Well, a big thank you to everybody that left suggestions on what to braai on our Facebook Page, by Twitter and email. We literally had hundreds of great things recommended to braai but we have trawled though them and I have chosen something that one of my favourite chefs from SA and this is one of his signature dishes. It’s from Rueben’s in Franschoek and was suggested by Carol from Manchester, thanks for reminding me about this fantastic dish, with a couple of adjustments by me. We will be in contact with you to arrange for you to receive your £50 of gift vouchers.

I decided to cook these birds over Kameeldoring Wood just to make me feel homesick and I had to substitute the raspberry for balsamic vinegar. Which worked very well but if you can get the raspberry it will be just that little bit more subtle. This recipe takes a little bit of effort but you will be rewarded with a great feast, give it a go.

SERVES 4: PREP: 40MINS: COOK TIME: 35MINS

Ingredients for the Marinated:

4 x Quails (Ruben uses de-boned)
1 x Guinea Fowl
2 x Cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 x Large red bell peppers
200g Green grapes, halved
3tbs Mascarpone
2tbs fresh tarragon
3tbs oyster sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
Mixed fresh herbs, to garnish

Method how to prepare quail and guinea fowl:

Preheat the Braai to 200°C (400°F) with a few bit of Kameeldoring wood if you have any, it just give it a fantastic flavour.
Combine the grapes, mascarpone, tarragon and chopped garlic.
Stuff each bird.
Secure the stuffing by using toothpicks to close the cavities.
Season and brush with oyster sauce.
Place the Guinea Fowl on the braai first for 15-20 minutes on oven tray.
Cover the breast of the Guinea Fowl up after 20 minutes with a bit of silver foil to stop it from burning while the quail cooks.
After the 20 minutes is up place the Quails next to the Guinea Fowl on oven tray and roast for a further 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the braai and keep warm.
Either before or during the cooking of the birds’ place the red peppers on a hot braai, turning occasionally, allow the skin to blister. I did mine directly on the wood and it was fantastic!
After about 8 minutes, remove the peppers and wrap them in foil or a plastic bag for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the wrapping, seed and remove the skin from the peppers and slice into strips.
To serve, spoon the couscous on a plate.
Top the quail and guinea fowl with roasted bell pepper strips. Spoon the dressing over and around the birds. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Ingredients for the Couscous:

150g Couscous
3 x Medium sized tomatoes skinned, seeded and chopped
3tbs chopped fresh coriander
2tsp ground coriander
3tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Method how to prepare Couscous:

Place the raw couscous in a medium-sized pot or bowl and add the boiling water a little at a time, stirring constantly with a fork. Do not add too much water, as you want the couscous to stay light and fluffy.
When cooked, add the tomato, fresh coriander, ground coriander and olive oil.
Season to taste and set aside.

Ingredients for the Dressing:

100ml Olive oil
40ml Balsamic (80ml if you can get Raspberry) vinegar
100g green grapes, halved
1tbs chopped fresh tarragon
Add Caster sugar to taste

Method how to prepare Dressing:

For the dressing, whisk the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together, unfortunately I could not get any raspberry vinegar in time, so I substituted balsamic and it was great.
Next add the grapes, caster sugar and tarragon and stir.
It’s that simple, all you need to do now is plate it all up, Enjoy!

This is not the end but a start of a new era of this blog, I will still be braaiing every week, ;-) so don’t leave us. I will just not be blogging about everything I cook in such detail, more photo tweets etc. There will be a mixture of posts from guest bloggers, reviews from place and restaurants that I visit and I will still be offering the odd prize for you to win. So please feel free to let me what sort of things you would like to see me cook and eat and comeback on a regular basis or sign up and we will email you when I post something new. Thanks for all you comments and follows and keep spreading the word about this blog. Enjoy the sun and keep Braaiing.