Heritage Day is next week and we have put together a selection of some delicious recipes to inspire you.
As South Africans, Heritage Day allows us to celebrate all those traditions that are uniquely and proudly South African and to share the beauty of our rainbow nation.
From braai to vetkoek, you are bound to find something to suit your taste.
Our cuisine is a unique fusion of many different external cultural influences, and dining out is one of the most popular things to do, especially if you are a visitor. From roadside stalls to world-class restaurants, South Africa offers a wide variety of choices when it comes to food.
Here are some great culinary ideas to make your Heritage Day feast a special one.
BBQ rub
1tbs garlic powder
1 cup Cajun spice
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup treacle sugar
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
Method
Combine all ingredients and apply to the meat. Allow to stand for at least 12 hours before cooking.
Chakalaka BBQ sauce
Ingredients
1 cup light soy sauce
1tbs vegetable oil
5 cloves of crushed garlic
1 cup Cajun spice
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup treacle sugar
5 rosemary stems
1 litre beef stock
1 onion, finely chopped
410g chakalaka
Method
Place the oil, onions and rosemary into a heavy-based pot. Sauté on low heat while stirring until the onions become translucent.
Add the garlic, brown sugar and soy sauce. Continue to cook on medium heat until the soy sauce has reduced by half.
Once reduced, add all the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat up to high until the sauce begins to boil rapidly.
Reduce the heat until it becomes a gentle simmer. Continue simmering until sauce has reduced by half. Pour in the chakalaka and cook for another 10 minutes.
At this point it can be used to slow cook your beef, pork or chicken in, or you can reduce it further and use it as a basting sauce.
Midlands tiramisu
Ice cream ingredients
2 litres vanilla ice cream
200ml Nachtmusik
Method
Soften the ice cream by leaving it out of the fridge for a while. Pour in theNachtmusik.
Churn until they have completely combined and the ice cream becomes firm again. Leave in the freezer overnight.
Sponge ingredients
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt
115g plain flour
100g pistachio nuts, peeled and crushed
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC. separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar and all the vanilla. Beat till lightly coloured. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. While beating, slowly add the salt and remaining sugar until combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Add the nuts and sieve the flour into the egg mixture and gently fold in until combined. Pipe the mixture on to a silicon baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.
Recipes by Granny Mouse Country House and Spa.
Milk tart macarons
Milk tart filling
Ingredients
250ml milk
60g egg yolks
63g sugar
25g cornflour
2 cinnamon sticks
Method
Heat the milk and cinnamon until boiling.
Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until smooth.
Temper the hot milk on to the yolk mixture.
Return to heat and allow the mixture to boil, stirring continuously.
Remove from heat, strain (remove cinnamon sticks).
Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool in the fridge.
Macarons
Ingredients
135g caster sugar
80g ground almonds
60g egg white
Method
Place the caster sugar and egg white in a bowl over a double boiler and cook it to liquid form (70°C).
Remove from the heat and beat on high speed until medium-peak stage.
On low speed, beat in the ground almonds until combined.
Pipe on to the silpat and bake for 7-10 minutes (depending how large they have been piped).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before taking them off the silpat or they will split in half.
Fill and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Note: Do not flavour the macaron mixture, it will flop.
To assemble: Spoon some of the cold milk tart filling on to a macaron and top with another.
Vetkoek
Yields: 4
Ingredients
125ml cake flour
2.5ml baking powder
Pinch salt
¼ egg
62.5ml milk
Oil for frying
Method
Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Whisk egg and add with milk to dry ingredients. Mix to a soft dough.
Heat enough oil to cover the base of the frying pan.
Pour spoons full of batter into the hot oil and fry to until golden brown on both sides.
Drain on paper towels.
Recipes by Hayley Sutherland, chef lecturer at the Cape Town Capsicum Culinary Studio campus.