These are six of our favourite braai sides

Mielies on the side or as a main are always a winner, especially when they are smothered in butter. Try these three delicious butters to add to your mielies, including curry butter and chakalaka butter.

Ingredients:

• 8 cobs sweetcorn
• 2 T olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the curry butter:

• 160 g butter, softened
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 t fresh ginger, minced
• 2 t Woolworths Mild Curry Powder
• Woolworths Black Hawaiian Salt, for sprinkling

For the chakalaka butter:

• 200 g butter, softened
• ½ tin Woolworths Mild or Spicy Chakalaka
• Sea salt, to taste

For the Cuban-style butter:

• 200 g butter, softened
• 10 g coriander, roughly chopped
• ½ T chilli flakes
• 1 lime, zested, plus two more to serve, cut into wedges
• Parmesan, finely grated, to serve

Method:

1. To make the corn, drizzle each corn cob with olive oil then season lightly, wrap in tinfoil and braai for 20 minutes, turning often. Just before serving with the butters, remove the corn from the foil and briefly char over the flames.
2. For the curry butter, fry the garlic, fresh ginger, and curry powder in 2 T butter for 2 minutes over low heat until fragrant and golden. Fold the curried mix into the remaining butter and chill until the corn is ready. Spread lavishly over the mielies and sprinkle with black salt.
3. For the chakalaka butter, mix the softened butter and the tinned chakalaka together and season with a little salt. Set aside until ready to serve.
4. For the Cuban-style butter, mix the butter, coriander, chilli flakes and lime zest together and set aside until ready to serve. Once the mielies are ready, spread lavishly over the corn, then sprinkle with grated parmesan and fresh lime juice.
5. Once the cobs of corn have been charred, arrange them on a large platter. Serve with generous lashings of the three butters - finishing the curry butter off with black salt, and the Cuban-style buttered corn with sprinkles of grated parmesan and a squeeze of fresh lime.

(Makes 3 breads)

Beans are on many braai menus, most often in the form of a salad. This five-bean salad has a wonderful sweet and tangy dressing and is super easy to make.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• ½ clove garlic, crushed
• A pinch sea salt
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1 T sherry vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 T honey (or to taste)

For the salad:

• 1 x 400 g can Woolworths Three Bean Mix, drained and rinsed
• 1 x 400 g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 350 g fine green beans, sliced and blanched
• 3 sticks celery, with leaves, thinly sliced
• 10 g Italian parsley, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. To make the dressing, pound the garlic and sea salt using a mortar and pestle to make a paste. Add the Dijon mustard and combine, then add the sherry vinegar and drizzle in the olive oil, crushing the ingredients. Add the honey.
2. Toss the dressing with the canned beans, red onion, lemon juice and zest and allow to stand for 1 hour. Just before serving, toss through the green beans, celery and parsley and season to taste.

Cook's note: I love this salad for its sweet-tangy dressing – but these days I add two extra kinds of beans. Because why not? If you have the time, I recommend making it the day before to give the flavours a chance to mingle and let the beans take on all that deliciousness.

(Serves 4)

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When it comes to the potato salad, everyone has their own way of making it. A touch of condensed milk is a common ingredient in Afrikaans recipes. If you’d like to give it a whirl, Michelin-starred chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, has a decadent version for you to try, featuring condensed milk, bacon and truffle oil.

Ingredients:

• 10 rooibos tea bags
• 2 kg potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 t Woolworths Hickory Liquid Smoke
• 200 g bacon, cut into small lardons
• 2 T condensed milk
• 250 g Woolworths Double Cream Plain Yoghurt
• 200 g gherkins, finely chopped
• A handful chives, chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 5 free range eggs, hard-boiled
• Truffle oil, for drizzling

Method:

1. Infuse the tea in water to make a strong rooibos stock. Add the potatoes and cook until al dente. Drain, drizzle with the liquid smoke and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in a hot pan until crispy. Whisk the condensed milk and yoghurt together, then add the gherkins, chives, potatoes and bacon and mix until just combined. Season to taste.
3. Grate the eggs and mix into the potatoes. Garnish with chives and a drizzle of truffle oil.

(Serves 6)

Cook's note:  As the original potato salad featured at JAN is a slightly higher grade (think rooibos gel, confit egg and truffle espuma), he let us simplify the recipe. Restaurantjan.com

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It may take a little bit of effort, but home-made roosterkoek or amarostile straight off the braai is definitely worth it. And with all the bread-making skills you acquired during lockdown, making roosterkoek will be a breeze. Celebrity chef, Siba Mtongana’s easy recipe includes a delicious chipotle butter.

Ingredients:

For the chipotle butter:

• 100 g butter
• Woolworths Whole Dried Chipotle
• 4 T peppers (soaked in boiling water), chopped
• 2 T coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, roasted, peeled and bashed

For the roosterkoek:

• 2 t sugar
• 150 g flour
• Salt, a pinch
• 4 t oil
• 5 T luke-warm water
• 1 t instant yeast

Method:

1. To make the chipotle butter, mix all the ingredients and shape the butter into a cylinder. Wrap in clingfilm and secure on both ends. Chill to set.
2. To make the roosterkoek, mix the yeast and sugar in a small cup and allow to stand until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
3. Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, water and yeast mixture and mix.
4. Transfer the mixture to a clean surface and knead for 10–15 minutes, or until elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with clingfilm and place in a warm spot until doubled in size. This usually takes an hour.
5. Knock down the dough, roll out and cut into 6–8 equal-sized rounds. Place on a lightly floured tray and gently flatten with your hands. Cover with clingfilm and set aside until doubled in size once more. This takes about 10–15 minutes.
6. Cook over hot coals for 8–10 minutes on each side. The roosterkoek should sound hollow when tapped. Serve with chipotle butter.

(Serves 4)

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Whether it’s used in a salad, with pap, as a condiment, or eaten on its own, chakalaka is one of the most iconic South African braai sides. Its spicy-sweet flavour works beautifully with savoury dishes.

For the chakalaka:

• 2 T canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
• 2 t garlic, crushed
• 2 t ginger, finely grated
• 2 T mild curry powder
• ½ green pepper, finely chopped
• ½ red pepper, finely chopped
• ½ yellow pepper, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 t sugar
• 1 x 410 g can baked beans
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and translucent. Add the chillies, garlic and ginger, then add the curry powder and stir to combine.
2. Add the peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and stir to make sure they are well combined with the other ingredients and coated in the curry powder. Cook over a low heat until the carrots are tender.
3. Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook until the mixture is well combined and slightly thickened, 5–10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the baked beans and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

(Serves 6)

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If you are having a proper shisa nyama, you need to have pap. If you want try something a little different with pap, try actress-turned chef, Lucia Mthiyane’s cheesy pap balls. They’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1 T salt
• 120 g maize meal
• 30 g butter
• 24 x 1 cm Cheddar cheese cubes
• Canola oil, for deep-frying
• 1 T honey
• 200 g dried breadcrumbs
• 1 large free range egg, beaten
• Chutney or sweet chilli sauce, for serving

Method:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan with a lid and add the salt.
2. Slowly add the maize meal and whisk until smooth.
3. Cook over a medium heat until the right consistency is reached. The pap should be stiff.
4. Add the butter and stir until combined and smooth.
5. Cover with the lid and take the saucepan off the stove. Set aside to cool.
6. Once cool enough to handle, use your hands to make golf ball-sized balls. Insert a cube of cheese into each pap ball.
7. Heat the oil for deep-frying while you’re rolling the balls.
8. Roll the balls in the honey, then in the breadcrumbs.
9. Roll the balls in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs once more.
10. Deep-fry the pap balls until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately as a snack with chutney, sweet chilli sauce, or any other sauce of your choice.

(Makes 24)

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