Gourmet Boerie
What could be more South African than a stukkie boerewors (a small piece of sausage)? Few things, really! Here at Cape to Cairo, boerewors is one of the cornerstones of our business, and we take making, braaiing and eating it very seriously! Read further to learn more about tasty boerewors recipe ideas and how to serve boerewors.
One of the best ways to enjoy boerie is cooked over the coals. These are my top three rules-to-braai-boerie by:
- When braaiing or frying boerewors, never cut it before you grill, fry or braai it. The sausage casing is the magical force field that keeps all those delicious, meaty juices safe right up until the point you bite into it. The exception of course is when you are using boerewors as an added ingredient in a dish, like in some of the mouth-watering recipes below.
- Always use tongs, never a fork, to turn your boerie. You’ll pierce the casing and lose the delicious juices we spoke about above.
- Never, ever overcook your boerie! This will cause a lot of the fat and juices that add so much flavour to your wors to evaporate, and it will leave you with a dry, crumbly texture instead of the juicy bite you’re after.
4 Brilliant boerie recipes
Boerie isn’t just great for a braai; it’s also a marvellous freezer staple to have on hand. I like to think of it as being on par with a packet of mince or a frozen chicken: it’s just as versatile.
Here are four quick and easy week-night boerewors meals that will have the whole family smiling, greasy-lipped, from ear to ear!
Boerie beer-bread bake
This is a real crowd pleaser, and you can add as little or as much boerewors as you like. To stretch this recipe even further, make it in a sheet pan – just remember to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 cups (about 450g) self-raising flour
Large pinch of salt
1 can (340ml) larger beer
1 pack (about 450g) Cape to Cairo thin boerewors
2 potatoes, parboiled and sliced
1 cup (250ml) grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp (30ml) Miami Mild Mango Atchar, plus extra to serve
Salt and milled pepper
Olive oil
Coriander, to garnish (optional)
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease a round, 23cm-deep baking dish.
2) Prepare the beer bread: mix the flour, salt and beer to form a thick batter. Spread into the base of the baking dish.
3) Cut the boerewors into 6cm pieces and place over of the mixture, along with the potato slices. Scatter over the tomato halves and dollop the atchar on top. Season well and drizzle with olive oil.
4) Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the bread is cooked through. If the boerewors is getting too brown, cover the dish with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time.
5) Garnish with herbs and serve warm, sliced, with extra atchar or Mrs Ball’s chutney.
Spicy boerewors pasta
This is very similar to making a pasta sauce using Italian or pork sausages, but the coriander seed in the boerewors lends something truly unique to this dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 pack (about 450g) Cape to Cairo thin boerewors, cut into thick slices along the diagonal
1 tsp (5ml) Ina Paarman’s Beef Flavour Stock Powder
Pinch of Robertons Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp (30ml) tomato paste
2 cans (410g each) All Gold Diced Tomatoes
2 tsp (10ml) brown sugar
Salt and milled pepper
500g Fatti’s and Moni’s spaghetti
Sage leaves, for garnish (optional)
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Method
1) Heat a glug of oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until soft.
2) Toss in the boerewors and sprinkle the stock powder and cayenne pepper over the top. Stir-fry until browned.
3) Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and sugar. Season well and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is a little reduced and all the flavours have married.
4) Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
5) Toss the cooked spaghetti with the sauce and garnish with fresh sage leaves. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Roosterkoek boerewors rolls with spicy chakalaka
Roosterkoek – or ‘griddle cakes’ – are made from basic white bread dough that is cooked over the coals. It’s a good idea to spray your braai grid with a little non-stick baking spray to prevent them from sticking. It is similar to a hot dog roll. Check our tasty boerewors rolls recipe.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 packet (400g) Gourmet Cravings Original Roosterkoek & Stokbrood Mix
1 large pack (about 1kg) Cape to Cairo Chilli Cheese thick boerewors
Butter (for the rolls)
1 can (400g) Koo Chakalaka Mild & Spicy
Method
1) Prepare the roosterkoek according to the packet instructions. Divide the dough into six to eight pieces and shape into ‘hotdog’ rolls. Set aside to rise for 40 minutes until doubled in size, then braai over medium coals until cooked through (they should sound hollow when tapped). Set aside.
2) Cooking boerewors: Braai the boerewors over medium coals or pan-fry until done to your liking. Remove from the heat and cut into six lengths.
3) Cut the roosterkoek rolls in half, spread with butter and stuff each one with a piece of boerewors. Dollop over some chakalaka before serving.
Cook’s tip:
Use regular, fresh hotdog rolls for a quicker boerie-roll fix!
Boerewors and tomato jam pizza
If you’re Italian, look away right now! Putting boerewors on a pizza may seem a little odd, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! It’s simply superb.
Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 to 6 as a snack
Ingredients
2 Ready-made pizza bases
1 can (450g) Miami Sweet Tomato with Chilli Boerie Relish
3-4 cups (500-750ml) grated mozzarella cheese
1 pack (about 400g) Cape to Cairo thin boerewors, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp (30ml) Soet Tand Tomato Jam, plus extra to serve
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced into rings
1/2 pineapple, cut into small chunks
1 Tbsp (15ml) Robertsons Mixed Herbs
Olive oil
Rocket leaves, for serving
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the pizza bases onto two lined baking trays.
2) Spread some of the relish onto the pizza bases.
3) Scatter the cheese over the pizzas, followed by the boerewors and a few dollops of jam.
4) Top with the pepper slices and pineapple.
5) Season with mixed herbs and drizzle with olive oil.
6) Bake the pizzas for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly and the boerewors is cooked through.
7) Garnish with fresh rocket leaves, then slice the pizzas and serve with extra tomato jam.
Bon appétit… or as South Africans say: Lekker eet!
Here’s to all the eating, drinking, fun-loving South Africans – and the warm-hearted Australians embracing us and our vibrant culture! May there be many more meals with family and friends shared around our collective braais and dinner tables. Cheers!
X Kim
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