Scallops
& Tiger Prawn Skewers on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Braaied Scallops & Tiger Prawn Skewers

March 21, 2013 by Larry Susman in Big Green Egg, Braai, Fish, Food Websites, Recipes

Scallops & Tiger Prawn Skewers on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

I hope that you are all keeping well and braaiing along with me in this wonderful weather that we have in the UK. Who said that you can’t cook outside all year round lol. This week I'm keeping on the white meat theme just so that your body has a chance to recover from all that red meat. So I'm going to try a Thai inspired recipe thats simple and tasty.

SERVES 4 : PREP : 15MINS : MARINATE 1HR : COOK TIME : 8-15MINS

Marinade for Skewers:

1 tsp Sunflower or Vegetable Oil.
½ Small white onion, finely grated.
1 tbsp Fresh root ginger, finely grated.
150ml Canned coconut milk.
2 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander.

Ingredients for the Skewers:

24 x Fresh Scollops.
24 x Fresh or Frozen uncooked Tiger Prawns.
400g x Freshly cooked and steamed tastic rice.
2 x Fresh spring onions chopped.
2 x tbsp Fresh coriander chopped.
8 x bamboo stick skewers.

Method for making Skewers marinade:

To make the marinade, heat the sunflower oil in a small frying pan. Add the fresh ginger and onions and fry for 4 mins until they are just sofened but not browned.
Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 5 mins or until its reduced to the consistency of single cream.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cooled stir in the coriander and pour into a shallow dish.
Add the prawns and the scallops, mix and leave to marinade for 1hr in the fridge.
Take out of the fridge and skewer alternately on to the bamboo sticks, ready to cook.

Method for cooking the Skewers:

Preheat the Braai to 300°C (570°F).
Pre soak your skewers for at least an hour before hand, this will stop them from burning.
Braai the skewers over moderate/hot coals, or grill in the oven, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked. On the BigGreenEgg, believe it or not, you only need to cook them for 3-4 mins on each side. The heat is so intense that it cooks then quickly but leaves them so moist and tender. Serve with some Tastic rice and a fresh salad and there it is, a fantastic taste of the sea with a twist.

I love to hear what you think about what iIm cooking on the braai so please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment area below. Enjoy and until next week take care, Larry.

Cajun Chicken with Mielies on the Braai!

March 15, 2013 by Larry Susman in Big Green Egg, Braai, Chicken, Hot & Spicy, Recipes

Cajun Chicken with Mielies on the Braai/BigGreenEgg!

This week I've decided to go to the southern states of America for inspiration and I'm cooking Cajun Chicken with Mielies, sweet corn to all you none South Africans. This dish is quick to put together and quick to cook and the flavours are great. I have never cut up corn in this way and I must say its makes it really easy to eat, the only thing is it's so easy you tend to over do it if you’re not careful.

Well, I now know that I'm Anglicised, as all I talk about is the weather and man we've gone from ± 17c to -2c and snow in a week, what's happening. I'm still out here braaiing for you, I hope that you all appreciate it because I'm losing the will to Braai!! What I need is some braai love, please let me know if you like what I'm cooking below.

SERVES 2-3 : PREP:15 MINS : COOK TIME : 30 MINS

Ingredients:

2 x Chicken drumsticks
2 x Chicken Thighs
2 x Chicken Wings
2 x Fresh Meilies (Sweetcorn)
85g butter, melted

Ingredients for the Spice mix:

2tsp Onion powder
2tsp Paprika
1½ tsp Salt
1tsp Garlic powder
1tsp Dried Thyme
1tsp Cayenne pepper
1tsp Ground black pepper
½tsp Ground white pepper
½tsp Ground cumin

Method:

Preheat the Braai/BigGreenEgg to 200ºF/94ºC.
Using a sharp knife, make 2-3 diagonal slashes in the drumsticks, wings and thighs. Place them in a large dish.
Cut the mielie cobs into thick slices and add them to the dish.
Mix all the ingredients for the spice mix together in a small bowl.
Brush the chicken and the cobs with the melted butter and sprinkle the spice mix over them.
Place the chicken in the braai over the medium coals and cook for 15mins, turning them occasionally.
Add the mielie cobs to the braai and cook for a further 10-15mins or until they begin to blacken. Make sure that you turn them continually so that they don’t burn.
Transfer to a plate and serve immediately to the lucky people you have invited around to share you're braai.

I hope that you give this a go, it's quick and I can assure you you will add this to the regular things to Braai. Until next week enjoy and please feel free to comment below.

Wild Salmon with Mango & Granadilla Salsa on the Braai

March 08, 2013 by Larry Susman in Baking, Big Green Egg, Braai, Fish, Recipes, Smoking, Salads

Wild Salmon with Mango & Granadilla Salsa on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Howzit, well the sun is trying to shine in the UK but I think I missed summer as Tuesday was almost 17c and sunshine all day and I was stuck in the office LOL. For this weeks braai I have gone to the other extreme after last weeks meat fest! I'm braaiing some Wild Salmon and to go with this I will be making a Mango & Granadilla Salsa. This is really a very quick and easy dish to do, especially after taking nearly 8hrs to cook last weeks ribs.

You can braai this two different ways, directly on the gills or on a wooden smoke board. I'm going to use the boards as this will lightly smoke the salmon as it cooks. If you cannot get fresh Mango & Granadilla you can use tinned but it will not be as great.

SERVES 4 : PREP: 15 MINS : MARINATE 10 MINS : COOK TIME : 8 MINS

Fish Ingredients:

4 x Salmon Steaks or fillets, about 175g each.
1 x Finely grated rind and juice of a Lime.
Salt & Pepper to taste, I recommend you use quite a bit of salt at least 2 pinches per piece.

Salsa Ingredients:

1 x Large Mango, stoned and finely diced.
1 x Red Onion, finely chopped.
2 x Granadilla (passion fruit)
2 x Fresh Basil sprigs.
2 tbsp Lime juice.
Salt to taste.

Method how to prepare Salmon:

Rinse the salmon under cold running water and then pat dry with kitchen paper and place in a shallow dish.
Finely grate the rind of a lime and sprinkle over the salmon, then squeeze the juice over the salmon.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Set aside to marinade while you make the salsa.

Method how to prepare Salsa:

De-pip the mango and finely chop, place it in a mixing bowl.
Finely chop the red onion and add to bowl.
Cut the Granadilla in half and scoop out the pips and juice into the bowl.
Tear the basil leaves up and add to the mixture.
Finally, pour the lime juice over the whole lot, season with salt and pepper and mix through.
Cover and serve once the salmon is cooked.

Method how to braai the salmon:

Place the Oak smoke boards in some water to soak for 15mins, this will stop them from actually catching on fire, as you only want them to smoulder.
Preheat the Braai/BigGreenEgg to 200ºF/94ºC.
Place the board face down on the Braai for 5 mins to heat up, take out ready to place the salmon on.
Place the salmon on the boards along with the limes that you have squeezed, this will give it a great aroma.
Return to the braai close the lid and cook for 8 mins, for a piece of fish that is 2-3cm thick, if its thicker than this allow another 5 mins.

Cooked Wild
Salmon with Mango & Granadilla
Salsa on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

It's as simple as that, boil a few new potatoes and serve with the salsa, you will end up with a fantastic dish that is full of taste and freshness. Boy was it great, I hope that you are all enjoying my ventures. If so or not as the case maybe, please feel free to let me know below. Share and like to your hearts content.

Beef Ribs smoked on
the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Lekker! Beef Ribs on the Braai

March 01, 2013 by Larry Susman in Beef, Big Green Egg, Braai, Food Websites, Hot & Spicy, Meat, Recipes, Smoking

Beef Ribs Smoked on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Howzit all, today I'm going to be cooking Beef Ribs, smoked with hickory chips and slow cooked to perfection. This takes time to cook if you want to get the best from this cut of meat, then you need to be cooking these for about 6 hours. Ask your butcher to cut the beef ribs thick (they are commonly known as 'Jacob's Ladder' ribs in the UK and the USA) because they shrink during cooking but will still leave you with a huge amount of meat to eat. Allow 1 to 2 ribs per person if they are big meat eater otherwise 1 each will be more that enough.

Beef ribs are larger than and more tender and meatier than their pork counterpart, if they are slow cooked. Beef ribs are cut from the rib and plate primals and a small corner of the square-cut chuck section of the animal. A full rack of beef ribs is typically about 18 inches long and ranges from 3-5 inches thick, contains six ribs as well as the intercostal muscles and tendon and a layer of boneless meat and fat which is thick on one end of the rack and thiner on the other.

The rub I'm using this week is taken from the recipe book of the “Salt Lick” restaurant in Texas USA and if you have never heard, been or seen this place then you are missing out. It's a vegans nightmare but for meat loving South Africans (and the rest of you ) it heaven on earth, check it out here www.saltlickbbq.com

SERVES 4-6: PREP: 15MINS: MARINATE 1HR: COOK TIME:4-6HR

Rub  Ingredients:

7.5 tbsp black pepper
1.5 tbsp cayenne pepper
7.5 tbsp Sea salt

Ribs Ingredients:

6 kg bone-in beef ribs cut 3-5 inches thick .
1 x Jimmy's marinade (available from our website)

Method how to prepare and cook Ribs:

Preheat the Braai/BigGreenEgg to 200ºF/94ºC.
Leave the meat out to come to room temperature.
Place the hickory chips in a bowl, cover with water and let soak for at least 1 hour.
To make the rub (you can store the remainder thats not used for use at a later date) pour the cayenne pepper, salt and pepper into a mill or pestle and grind into a course mixture.
Generously rub the ribs with the spices then set aside to rest for 20 mins.

In the meantime drain and scatter the wood chips over the preheated charcoal.
Place the ribs on the grid with a pan of water under the ribs (this will keep the ribs moist and catch any excess fat) and close the lid of the braai, leave to slow smoke/cook for 1-2 hours do not open the braai during this time.
After 2 hours raise the temperature of the braai to 356ºF/180ºC and open the braai up and baste the ribs generously with the Jimmy's sauce, continue to do this every 40 mins for 4 hrs. It is really worth taking your time doing this and the end result will reward you for your patience.

We are giving away 2 bottles of Jimmy's Braai Sauce so you can try this great recipe out.

All you have to do is please leave some feed back and you could be 1 of 2 lucky people that get a chance to make this really great Rack of Beef Ribs. Also I love to hear what you think about what I'm cooking, feel free to leave suggestions what you would like to see me cook. Entries will close on the 15th March 2013.

Hertzogkoekies on the Braai

February 22, 2013 by Larry Susman in Baking, Big Green Egg, Braai, Cakes, Food Websites, Recipes

Hertzogkoekies on the Braai/BigGreenEgg

Well I'm back on the weather subject again and cooking in sunshine one minute and snow the next. I wish we had proper seasons in the UK so you know when to take off your boots and put some flops on! To cheer you all up I'm going to try and bake a laaties (small child) favourite cake, “Hertzogkoekies”. If you would like to make these just like your Ouma did we are giving away 3 tins of All Gold Apricot Jam so that they taste like they did back home (see end for details).

These cookies or jam and coconut tartlets are known as Hertzogkoekies in South Africa and are part of every South African housewife's traditional recipes. They were named after General J.B.M. Hertzog, prime minister of the South Africa Union in 1924. According to legend, there was also another cookie baked in nearly the same way (the ingredients were the same) but these were named after General Jan Smuts, Prime Minister from 1919 until 1924 and then again from 1939 until 1948.  Both Smuts and Hertzog played important roles in the early political history of South Africa, both fought in the Boer Wars and the World Wars and both of them had their own staunch supporters. Interesting is that the supporters of the one would not eat the biscuits named after the other one and even today, you will still find a recipe for Hertzogkoekies and Jan Smuts koekies if you search for traditional South African cookies.

MAKES 9-10 - PREP: 40 MINS - COOK TIME: 15-20 MINS

INGREDIENTS FOR SWEET PASTRY

1 3/4 Cups plain (cake) flour
2 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Sugar
50g unsalted butter
3 x egg yolks
pinch of salt

METHOD FOR MAKING PASTRY

Sift the flour onto a clean smooth work surface and make a well in the centre.
Add the butter which you have cubed up and rub it in with your fingers. Make into a texture that resembles crumbs.
Add the egg and mix until the pastry is formed.
Rest the pastry for 15 minutes in the fridge covered with cling film.
Then roll out to 5 mm thickness on a floured surface and use cutter to make circles ready to be filled (if time is of the essence, buy ready made pastry).

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING

¾ cup Sugar
2 cups Desiccated coconut
3 egg whites
8 tbsp smooth apricot jam
12 glacé cherries (optional)

METHOD FOR MAKING THE FILLING

Pre Heat the Braai to 180°C (350°F).
Stiffly beat the egg white into firm peaks then gently fold in the sugar and coconut, its that simple. Place half a teaspoon of jam in the bottom of each lined patty and then generously cover with the coconut mixture. Place a cherry on the top of each if you choose to, personally I love that final sweet taste of cherry on the last bite.
Tip  When filling the jam tarts, put a spoonful of apricot jam into a plastic bag containing a little flour. Shake the bag until the jam is well coated with flour, then place onto pastry. This will ensure that the jam does not "leak" during baking.
Finally place in the braai to bake for 15-20 minutes and you will end up with some great koekies.

Fancy making some of these? We are giving away 3 tins of All Go ld Apricot Jam so that you can make them taste like they did back home. All you have to do is please leave some feed back and you could be 1 of 3 lucky people that get a chance to make this really great South African Snack. Also I love to hear what you think about what I'm cooking, feel free to leave suggestions what you would like to see me cook. Entries will close on the 8th March 2013.