Merrily Eating and Drinking on National Braai Day 2012

The men making their lunch contribution

What could be better than spending a hot, sunny Monday afternoon relaxing in the garden around the braai with friends rather than sitting behind the office computer? Not much, certainly! On National Heritage Day, South Africans get to skip work and celebrate their diversity instead.

Despite the many cultural differences represented in our country, one thing we all have in common is that we love to light up a fire and throw some meat (and veggies, in my case) on it. According to www.braai.com, “this is a noble cause, which will contribute to strengthening South Africa as a nation” and is supported by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Emeritus Archbishop Doctor Desmond Tutu.

Our National Braai Day feast

Even the Germans enjoy taking part, and a whole group of them gathered at my home, where my husband, Kevin, had lit up the braai our in the garden. Having been friends since school, they never seem to run out of conversation (mostly discussed in their mother tongue), so I had plenty of time to prepare the accompaniments while they lounged around the fire.

While they’d brought steak and boerewors to enjoy, Kevin and I had decided to share a piece of trout. We’ve learned a great way for cooking it over a flame without drying it out or burning it. Essentially, you place the seasoned fish and some pre-cooked potatoes in a foil roasting pan and cover it, set it on the braai for 15 minutes, then leave it to steam for another 15 minutes. The result is perfectly cooked, flaky, smoked, and delicious!

The very pretty and delicious desserts

To accompany the meat, I also served the leftover boiled pink fir potatoes (a delicious new type that is available from Woolworths), a creamy potato salad (made with regular potatoes), pasta salad, a leafy Greek salad, and some ciabatta rolls from Food Lover’s Market. Since some guests had not been able to attend at the last minute, lots of leftovers found their way back to the fridge.

Nevertheless, it seemed everyone still had room for dessert, which was a light and summery fruit salad – perfect for such a beautiful day! Comprised of green and red apples, cantaloupe, red grapes, strawberries, and kiwi fruit, the mix was dressed in delicious rosewater syrup. I served them in the gorgeous individualised ramekins we’d received as a wedding gift.

Can you tell that I love this wine?

To drink, the German gentlemen stuck mainly to their beers, but I enjoyed a glass of Middelvlei Free Run Pinotage 2010, which played to both Heritage Day (being an authentic local cultivar) and to Braai Day (considering that reds are often paired with meat). Although not a cultivar one might normally pair with gently seasoned fish or prefer on a warm day, Middelvlei’s version is light enough to enjoy with both.

Unfortunately, while it may have felt like a lazy Saturday afternoon, we do all need to get up early for work again in the morning, so everyone made their way home in the late afternoon. Still, it was great spending time with friends and enjoying the great South African braaing tradition! Hope you all had a wonderful Heritage Day.

All smiles as we prepare to tuck in!