This recipe has two tricks up its sleeve! Buttermilk tenderises the chicken while salt water keeps it moist. Serves 4

  Ingredients 

For the buttermilk chicken: 

1 (about 1.2kg) whole chicken, spatchcocked
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp fine Himalayan salt
1 cup water 

 For the chunky olive gremolata: 

10g fresh basil
10g fresh parsley
50g packet blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
3-4 Tbsp olive oil blend
2 Tbsp lemon juice
200g green olives, pitted and chopped
½ red onion, finely diced  

Method  

1. Place chicken in a deep dish and pour over the buttermilk mixture. Cover in clingfilm and refrigerate for 12-24 hours (the longer the better).
2. One hour before braaiing, remove the chicken from the fridge. Wipe off the marinade, place on a plate, cover and set aside to come up to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, combine the gremolata ingredients and chop to combine. (If you prefer a finer texture, you can blitz it in a food processor.)
4. Prepare medium-hot coals. Place chicken in a K-flap grid for ease of turning.
5. Braai chicken for 28-35 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes. (To test if chicken is done, prick the breast or thigh with a sharp knife. If the juice is clear, it is done.)
6. Serve the chicken cut into pieces with gremolata spooned on top.

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen 
Photography: Zhann Solomons  

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 The secret to this salad is in the dressing, although the cheese-to-veg ratio doesn’t hurt either. 

Serves 8 

 Ingredients  

For the dressing: 

¼ cup good-quality olive oil
Salt and milled pepper
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of dried tarragon (or 1 fresh sprig when in season)
200g Kalamata olives, pitted
1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
½ red onion, sliced into thin rings
4 red salad tomatoes, cut into wedges
200g mini rosa tomatoes, halved or whole
1 cucumber, seeds removed (optional) and cut into half-moon slices
2 blocks (200g each) halloumi 

 Method:  

1. Combine the dressing ingredients and set aside.
2. Place the salad ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to combine. (Add up to an hour in advance and toss well before serving.)
3. Prepare medium-hot coals and brush your K-flap braai grid with olive oil. Cut the halloumi into two smaller blocks each.
4. Braai the halloumi blocks for 3-5 minutes a side or until golden and crisp
5. Top the salad with halloumi and serve immediately.

 Cook’s note  

You can also grill the halloumi in a cast iron griddle pan. Just be sure to oil the cheese, not the pan, before grilling.  

Words; Liezl Vermeulen
Photographs: Zhann Solomons  

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 Make these sosaties the main attraction of your braai by serving them with plain yoghurt, pickled red onion and naan flatbreads. 

 Serves 4 

  Ingredients  

2 large onions, sliced
¼ packet (50g) medium or hot curry powder
3 Tbsp turmeric powder
1½ cups (375ml) brown vinegar
1½ cups (375ml) fruit chutney
8 chicken breasts
Salt and milled pepper
Sambal, for serving (optional) 

 Method  

1. Place onions, spices, vinegar and chutney in a deep, sealable dish.
2. Cut chicken into 3-4cm cubes. Season generously and place in the dish, tossing to coat evenly in the marinade. Cover with a lid or clingfilm and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
3. An hour before braaing, remove chicken from the fridge. String chicken onto 10-12 bamboo or metal skewers, cover and set aside.
4. Decant marinade into a pot. Cook over medium heat to bring to a simmer, cooking for 3-4 minutes to reduce and thicken.
5. Prepare medium-hot coals. Place sosaties on a braai grid and braai for about 12-16 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of braaiing, baste sosaties with thickened sauce.
6. Serve sosaties with sambal, if you like.

 Cook’s note  

To make a sambal, toss together finely diced cucumber and tomato, chopped coriander, a generous squeeze of lemon juice (or use vinegar) and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.  

Words: Liezl Vermeulen
Photographs: Zhann Solomons  

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Braaiing is ingrained in every South African – it is part of our heritage. Even if you may not like the process of braaiing, few can say no to the flavour of food prepared over the coals. It doesn’t matter what or how you like to braai, it’s sure to bring family and friends together. Getting the coals ready, marinating and brushing meat with a good oil, making salads and snacking around the fire is all part of the experience and ‘kuier’.

Westfalia Fruit is known as the #AVOEXPERTS. They have one of the most diverse avocado-growing footprints in the world and produce a wide range of quality avocado products. These include their range of avocado and nut oils, and guacamoles. Make sure to have some of these at your next braai.

Avocado oil is so versatile

Add a good quality oil when preparing your braai favourites. Westfalia Avocado Oil is the perfect base for a marinade or salad dressing. Brush over meat, chicken, fish or veggies for extra flavour. Stir into mealie pap or drizzle over jacket potatoes. Add to a homemade bread dough for a soft texture or sauté the ingredients for an aromatic chakalaka in the oil. Take garlic bread, potato salad or even a basic green salad up a notch with these flavourful oils.

Westfalia Fruit’s Avocado Oil is produced from ripe, hand-selected Hass avocados, packed with the goodness of fresh avocados. The oil is 100 % pure and known for its health benefits.

The naturally high smoke point of 250 °C, means that the oil’s health structure remains intact, even when heated. This makes the oil ideal for every cooking method, including braaiing. There are four flavours in the range: Plain, Lemon, Garlic and Butter.

Convenience in a tub

Guacamole is perfect to dip, dunk and enjoy with any pre-braai snacks or as a sauce with meat, chicken or fish. Westfalia Fruit’s range of guacamoles includes three flavours: Plain, Spicy or Sweet Chilli Salsa. Each tub contains about two ripe Hass avocados and is deliciously chunky.

These Westfalia Fruit products are all proudly SA, naturally cholesterol-free, suitable for vegans and vegetarians alike and great sources of healthy fats.

Follow @avoexperts on Instagram and @WestfaliaFruit on Facebook for everything avocado. Or visit their website for delicious recipes and to read more about them.

Make Westfalia Fruit products part of your heritage, because local is lekker!

The post Let’s braai with Westfalia Fruit, the #AVOEXPERTS appeared first on MyKitchen.

Heritage day is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to share this yummy lamb potjie with roosterkoek recipe with friends and family.

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 2 hr 10 min// PROOFING TIME 1 hr 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the lamb potjie
1 kg lamb neck, cubed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
¼ cup flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup red wine
1 cube beef stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
½ bulb garlic, cloves intact
350 g baby onions, peeled
225 g baby carrots
4 celery stalks, chopped
250 g mushrooms, halved
For the roosterkoek
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
10 g packet instant dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
For the green harissa
2 green peppers, deseeded and quartered
2 green chillies
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup fresh coriander
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar or honey

METHOD
For the potjie
1. Season the lamb with ground coriander, cumin and paprika, then dust each piece in flour until well coated.
2. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and brown the lamb in batches, until golden all over.
3. Transfer all the lamb and juices to a heated potjie pot and add the red wine, stock cube, soy sauce, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and enough boiling water to just cover the meat.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 1 hour or until the lamb is tender.
5. Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms, and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
For the roosterkoek
1. Mix together the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix yeast, sugar and water in a separate bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix until combined. Knead for 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to proof in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Place the dough balls on an oiled baking tray and allow to rise again for about 20 minutes.
4. Place the dough balls between an oiled braai grid and cook them over low coals for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are all cooked through.
For the green harissa
1. Preheat the oven grill.
2. Place the peppers, cut-side down, and the chillies on a baking tray and pierce a few holes in the chillies so that they don’t explode. Grill until blackened and blistered. Remove from the oven, wrap in foil and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Peel the peppers and chillies, then remove the seeds from the chillies. Place the peeled peppers, chillies and remaining ingredients in a blender and blend to form a paste.
4. Drizzle each serving of potjie with green harissa and serve with roosterkoek on the side.

Quick tip: Cut down on prep time by using store-bought  bread dough for your roosterkoek, available at most supermarkets.

Recipe & Styling: Marizka Du Toit
Photography: Jurie Senekal

Want a delicious South African snack? Then try our babotie vetkoek bites with coconut sauce recipe. It will not disappoint.

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Enjoy bigger, bolder flavour with Hinds spices. Because when you cook with Hinds, you’re giving food that winning taste, AND you stand to WIN your share Of R250 000 in cash.

To enter, buy any two Hinds products, WhatsApp ‘Hinds’ to 021 180 2800, and snap a pic of your till slip and follow the prompts. The more you buy, the more you can enter, the greater your chance of winning.

Here’s how to give lamb chops with potato salad and a sweet & sour beans side that winning taste with Hinds, The Strong One.

You will need…

Lamb Chops
Season with Hinds Steak and Chops Spice as required for the amount of chops and/or season to taste.
1,2 – 1,6 Kg / 8 lamb chops
Canola oil, to fry
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

Potato Salad
650 g / 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 2cm pieces, boil in salted water until cooked
Fresh chives, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
250 ml / 1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Hinds Potato Spice
80 g / 2 Rhodes Quality Dill Gherkins, finely chopped
4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and cut into quarters

Bean Salad with Mixed Herbs & Paprika
4 x 400 g Rhodes Quality Beans
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Hinds Paprika
1 tsp Hinds Mixed Herbs
2 Tbsp Hinds Salt and Vinegar Spice
125 ml / 1⁄2 cup olive or sunflower oil
Freshly chopped parsley to serve
Pinch Hinds White Pepper

Now let’s get cooking!

Lamb Chops
Sprinkle the Hinds Steak and Chops Spice over the lamb. Heat a splash of oil and the butter in a large frying pan and fry the chops for 3 – 5 minutes on each side, depending on how thick your chops are cut. If they are thicker, you may have to cook them for longer. Once done, remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

Potato Salad
To make the potato salad, combine all the ingredients in a large salad bowl and mix gently, while the potatoes are hot and sprinkle the chopped chives on top.

Bean Salad with Mixed Herbs & Paprika
Combine the Rhodes Quality Beans, onion, Hinds Paprika, Hinds Mixed Herbs and oil. Add Salt to season and splash vinegar to taste. Add Hinds White Pepper to taste and freshly chopped parsley to serve.

CHEFS’S TIP
To boil eggs, bring the water to the boil in a pot first then add your eggs. Set a timer for 7 minutes for soft eggs or 10 – 12 minutes for hard-boiled, depending on the size of your eggs. Once cooked, remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in a bowl of cold water to cool them down and stop them from over-cooking, which can turn them blue and/or makes them hard to peel.

Images: Courtesy Image

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