Chicken sosaties

Tags

barbeque, BBQ, braai, cape malay, Chicken, curry, kebabs, skewered foods, sosaties, traditional food

Sosaties are one of the great  traditional South African braai (barbeque) foods of all time.  Sosaties are not just any old kebabs.  They’re usually lamb meat on skewers, marinated in a distinctive aromatic Cape Malay-style sauce.  The term derives from sate (“skewered meat”) and saus (spicy sauce).  There are a few variations to the sosatie marinade, but most at least include apricot jam, curry powder and onions. The combination of fruit and curry flavors is something you’ll see often in  Cape Malay recipes, like the classic bobotie, and give such delicious results.

Today, I have decided to do a chicken sosatie.  See Lamb sosaties for my lamb sosatie recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut up into large cubes
1 large green pepper
1 onion
12 dried yet plump apricots
marinade:
3 small onions, diced
1-2 small chili peppers or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons/ 30 g curry powder (depends on the strength)
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander/cilantro
10 dried apricots, cut into tiny pieces
175 ml/ ¾ cup apricot jam
50 g / ¼ cup light brown sugar
150 ml / ⅔ cup white wine vinegar
300 ml / 1¼ cup water

Method:

Peel and dice the onions
Cut up the peppers finely
Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onions and chili and cook until just translucent
Add the curry, turmeric, bay leaves, ginger and coriander and allow to cook for a minute
Add the apricots and all the remaining ingredients and leave to simmer about 15 minutes
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, about 3 hours
When cool, add the marinade to the meat and place in the refrigerator for about 24 hours ideally (minimum 4 hours)
Now cut the peppers and onions to the same size as the meat cubes
When ready to grill, thread four meat pieces alternating with green pepper, onion and apricot to make a sosatie
Remember to soak the skewers first if you are using wooden ones so that they do not burn
Heat the BBQ to about 250°C/500°F
Cook the kebabs about 10 to 15 minutes
Turn several times to make the edges golden, basting with the marinade
Enjoy! Lekker eet! Bon Appetit!

Wine suggestion: Viognier or Chenin Blanc go well with this spicy dish but if you prefer a red, Shiraz or Grenache are equally good choices

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Tips to barbecue fish and Mediterranean Sea Bass recipe

Tags

barbeque, braai, cod, fish, grill, how to cook fish, how to grill, mediterranean, sea-bass

Fish is one of the healthiest and most delicious foods you can prepare for yourself. Unfortunately, it also has a reputation for being difficult to barbecue. If you love fish but are apprehensive about putting it on your grill, don’t worry, I am going to make it easy.  My tips for barbecuing fish will have you feeling confident and ready to grill your favourite fish recipe for your next meal.

While each technique is unique, the preparation for grilling both variations is the same.

Preparation
First step when grilling anything, especially fish, is to preheat your grill on high. This does a number of things. Bringing the grill up to temperature will help in caramelizing the fish and provide the defined grill marks that supply the immense flavor you love. Having the grill preheated will also lessen the amount of time your fish is on the grill, resulting in less opportunity for your fish to dry out. Lastly, preheating the grill will prevent the number one fear …sticking. Even though fish is very lean, it will naturally release itself from the cooking grate when it is finished cooking if the grill was preheated correctly.

Another constant when it comes to grilling fish is the temperature. Whether skin is on or off, the temperature should be at a medium to high heat, depending on the recipe, around 200-225 Celsius or 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Now that your grill is preheated, you’re almost ready to start grilling your fish. The last thing to do is clean the cooking grates with a stainless steel brush to remove all prior cooking debris that may still be left over. Just a good rule of thumb, clean cooking grates are a necessity no matter what you are grilling to aid in easy removal of your grilled cuisine.

If you’ve experienced fish sticking to the grates in the past, chances are you didn’t preheat your grill to the correct grilling temperature or clean your cooking grates properly.

Technique
Check out the tips below to perfect your favorite fish dish.

Skin on:

• Allow your fish to sit for five to ten minutes to bring it up to room temperature before generously oiling and seasoning it prior to putting it on your cooking grates. This will help to eliminate the possibility of sticking.
• If you want to sear the flesh side, first be sure to oil the flesh side of the fish and place it flesh side down directly on the grate and grill according to recipe. The fish will naturally release itself from the cooking grate once it is finished being grilled on that side. If searing is not on your grilling game plan, simply place the fish skin side down directly on the grate.
• Be sure to stick with the general rule of thumb that allows for eight to ten minutes of grill time per inch of fish. Therefore, if your fish is an inch in thickness, grill each side for about three to four minutes. However, always be sure to consult the instructions on your recipe.
• When it comes time to take your fish off the grill, slide your spatula in between the area where the skin and flesh meet. Using a side-to-side motion, make your way between the two areas so that the layer of skin remains on the grate and only the flesh piece is removed from the grill.
• As always, make sure you allow adequate time for your fish to rest after it is off the grill. Three to five minutes is a sufficient amount of time to let the fish relax and allow for the juices to run back into your cut of fish, making it more tender.

Skin off:

• Allow your fish to sit for five to ten minutes to bring it up to room temperature before generously oiling both sides and seasoning your piece of fish prior to putting it on your cooking grates. This will help to eliminate the possibility of sticking.
• Be sure to stick with the general rule of thumb that allows for eight to ten minutes of grill time per inch of fish. Therefore, if your fish is an inch in thickness, grill each side for about three to four minutes. However, always be sure to consult the instructions on your recipe.
• Only flip your piece of fish once while grilling. Do not repeatedly turn and flip it. This will heighten the chance of it breaking apart while being grilled.
• When it comes time to flip your piece of fish, do not force your piece of fish off the grill. Be patient and allow your fish to naturally release itself from the cooking grate on each side. This will indicate that the fish is done being grilled.
• As always, make sure you allow adequate time for your fish to rest after it is off the grill. Three to five minutes is a sufficient amount of time to let the fish relax and allow for the juices to run back into your cut of fish, making it more tender.

Always remember to grill with your lid down. Each time you open the lid, you add additional cooking time to your meal.

With these tips, you’ll be grilling up a flawless fish dinner that will impress even the pickiest seafood lover at your dinner table. It’ll be easy to bring the taste of the sea to your backyard barbecue any time you desire. *

 

RECIPE
If you cannot find sea bass, this works beautifully with cod or halibut as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless sea bass fillets, each about 170g and 2 1/2 cm thick (6 ounces and 1 inch)
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation:

In a small bowl whisk the first 6 ingredients
Spread the paste evenly on both sides of the fillets
Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes
Grill the fillets over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the flesh is opaque throughout and starting to flake, 5 to 7 minutes, turning once
Remove from the grill and serve warm with lemon wedges
Enjoy!

 

*From Weber International website

BBQ pork ribs

Tags

barbeque, BBQ, braai, outdoor food, Pork, ribs, sticky sauce

This is a delicious finger-lickin’ bbq pork rib recipe. Make plenty because everyone will be wanting more.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500ml (2 cups) hot water
• 2 pork rib racks

Spiced barbecue glaze

• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
•  1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
•  1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
•  2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
•  3 teaspoons smoked paprika
•  1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
•  1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation:

• Make the glaze:
  Stir tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, firmly packed brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried oregano leaves and ground cumin in a saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes
  Increase heat to medium
  Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened
• Combine the water and 2 tablespoons of the glaze in a roasting pan
  Add ribs
  Cover with foil
  Bake at 180C / 360 F, turning once, for 2 hours or until tender
  Brush the ribs with the remaining glaze
• Preheat a barbecue grill on medium
  Cook ribs for 4-5 minutes each side or until caramelised and slightly charred
  Transfer to a chopping board
• Cover the ribs with foil and set aside for 2-3 minutes to rest before carving
  To serve, use a large sharp knife to cut between the ribs
  Transfer to a serving platter
  Enjoy!

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