Ek het onlangs die boekbekendstelling van die bekende kos- en kookboekskrywer, Ilse van der Merwe, bygewoon. Timeless South African, celebrating 101 iconic dishes is ‘n moethê kookboek waarin jy meeste van Suid-Afrika se geliefde en gunsteling resepte gaan aantref, van erfenisikone soos koeksisters of koesisisters en bobotie tot ‘n Durbanse bunny chow of umngqusho (stampmielies en bone), selfs braaibroodjies en pap. In Timeless South African word die diverse verskeidenheid van ons ryk kultuurgeskiedenis weerspieël, ons weet tog immers, kos bring mense saam en hoe meer ons ons kos en stories deel, hoe meer gaan ons dit wat ons saam verenig, kan vier. By elke resep vertel Ilse veskeie staaltjies waaroor sy hope navorsing gedoen het. ‘n Multi-kulturele skat wat ons unieke koskultuur uitmuntend uitbeeld. Vir my was dit tog te lekker om verskeie Weskuslekkertes ook in die boek aan te tref – mossels en gebraaide snoek tot waterblommetjiebredie en heerenbone. Net reg om die hele maand nog ons erfenis te vier. Sien die resepte op my blog: carmenniehaus.com
Timeless South African word in hardeband uitgegee deur Penguin Books en is beskikbaar in meeste topboekwinkels asook aanlyn teen sowat R480.
Waterblommetjiebredie
Waterblommetjies are indigenous pond flowers that grow wild in the Boland area’s dams and marshes, but they are also farmed. The waterblommetjie fruit has been a well-loved ingredient in Western Cape bredies for ages — the texture somewhat like small artichoke leaves but the taste resembling green beans with a floral hint of lemon. Their short season spans July, August and September, during which many waterblommetjie sellers can be seen on street corners in the Boland, offering their bounty to passersby in cars. Traditionally, there was only one way to enjoy waterblommetjies: in a simple bredie made with mutton or lamb, potatoes and ‘surings’ (sorrel). These days, surings are often replaced with fresh lemon juice. Boland cooks have found more modern ways to cook waterblommetjies, including tempura-style, in chicken casseroles, as a pastry filling, or simply simmered in lemony, salted water as a side dish. Here is atraditional bredie recipe.
SERVES 6
500 g waterblommetjies
about 1½ litres (6 cups) cold water
15 ml (1 Tbsp) salt
45 ml (3 Tbsp) olive or vegetable oil
1.5 kg mutton or lamb knuckles, or neck or rib cutlets
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
250 ml (1 cup) hot water
1 ml (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
juice of 1 lemon or a few surings, if you can find some cooked rice, to serve
Add the waterblommetjies to a large bowl and cover with the cold water. Add the salt and stir gently, then leave for 30—60 minutes to soak to get rid of any sand. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water, then set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over moderately high heat on the stovetop and fry the meat portions in batches until lightly browned on some sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Turn down the heat to medium, add the onion to the same pot and fry until soft and translucent. Return the meat back to the pot and add the hot water and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer with the lid on, then cook over low heat for about 1 hour. Then add the potatoes and waterblommetjies and continue to cook for another hour or until the potatoes are soft and the meat is very tender. Serve warm with cooked rice.
Heerenbone
Heerenbone are a uniquely South African heirloom bean, only growing in the dry Sandveld district. People have tried to cultivate it in other parts of the country, with no success. They are large, flat and extremely silky, making them a delectable ingredient in many South African stews and other dishes. People drive across provinces to buy their annual stash of heerenbone in the Sandveld or at a few delis along the West Coast and Boland. These days they can even be found on fine-dining menus as a proudly South African indigenous ingredient. Serving these beans simply as a side dish is a humble feast, yet they can also be turned into a delicious bean salad or a smooth purée.
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH
2 cups heerenbone
1½ litres (6 cups) water
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
45 ml (3 Tbsp) apple cider vinegar
10 ml (2 tsp) sugar or honey
80 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
½ small red onion, very finely sliced
a small handful fresh herbs (parsley, sage and/or dill), roughly torn
Add the heerenbone and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to soak for 1 hour. After 1 hour, return the pot to the heat, adding the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Simmer slowly over low heat for 1½—2 hours, or until the beans are just tender but still retain their shape. Carefully drain the water. Rinse briefly under warm water, if preferred, and drain well.
Add the vinegar, sugar or honey and oil to a jar and shake vigorously to mix. Pour this mixture over the beans as soon as they are drained, season all over with salt and pepper, then stir gently to mix. Transfer the beans to a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature, scattered with slivers of onion and herbs.
Braaied snoek with apricot jam marinade
Snoek is a long, thin species of snake mackerel, commonly found in the cold waters of the western and southern coasts of South Africa. It is highly popular as a smoked or braaied fish. There are two styles of braaiing snoek: on a hinged grid lined with foil or without foil. When braaiing snoek without foil, it is common to first lightly oil the grid to prevent the skin from sticking completely. The upside is that the skin becomes charred, as some prefer to eat the fish, skin and all. When braaiing with foil, the aim is to cook the fish with lots of marinade from the bottom, so that it steams in the liquid before it is turned quickly, and the flesh side is given a smoky finish. The most popular South African marinade for braaiing a snoek is a melted-butter sauce with garlic, lemon and apricot jam, sometimes also containing some parsley or dill. Serve the snoek with soetpatats and roosterkoek.
Note
Snoek contains long bones, but they can easily be removed from the flesh as you eat it.
SERVES 6
125 g (½ cup) butter
30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil, plus extra for oiling the foil
2—3 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed
60 ml (¼ cup) smooth apricot jam
finely grated zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
salt and black pepper, to taste
a small handful fresh parsley or dill, finely chopped (optional)
1 whole large fresh snoek, flecked
To a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, oil, garlic, jam, lemon zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper. As the jam and butter melt, stir occasionally until the marinade is relatively smooth (don’t boil for too long). Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley or dill.
Line the inside of a hinged grid with foil, then brush lightly with oil. Place the flecked snoek on the foil skin-side down. Use a basting brush to cover it generously with the prepared marinade, then close the grid and braai the snoek foil-side down over moderately hot coals for about 15 minutes, or until the flesh side starts to turn opaque here and there from cooking through. Turn the fish over and braai the flesh side briefly until just golden — it will smoke a lot from the sweet marinade dripping onto the coals, adding lots of smoky flavour. Do not overcook. Turn back with the foil-side down and brush again with the marinade before serving hot.
Lightly curried West Coast black mussels
For many West Coast fishing communities, living ‘from the rocks’ is a way of survival when the fish simply aren’t biting. Mussels are one of the most sustainable sources of protein of our time, as they are easy to harvest and simple to cook. The South African black mussel (with black or bluish flesh) and brown mussel are less common than the abundant, invasive Mediterranean black mussel (males with white flesh, females with orange flesh), yet they aren’t easy to distinguish by looking at the shells. Mediterranean black mussels are sustainably farmed in Saldanha Bay in the cold Benguela Current, with very little human intervention.
The public can easily buy these live mussels in a few delis in the Western Cape, but if you have a permit, you can forage them from the rocks. This recipe yields tender mussels in a fragrant, curried sauce, which is a wonderful starter when served with bread to mop up the sauce.
Notes
1. For this recipe, only fresh mussels will do — not frozen.
2. Lightly curried mussel soup is a popular Cape dish during Ramadan.
SERVES 4
1½—2 kg fresh black mussels
250 ml (1 cup) water
30 ml (2 Tbsp) butter
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
10 ml (2 tsp) roasted masala or medium curry powder
10 ml (2 tsp) ground fennel (barishap)
5 ml (1 tsp) ground turmeric
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
1 x 400 ml can coconut cream or coconut milk, or 250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
10 ml (2 tsp) sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
a handful fresh coriander leaves, to serve
Soak the mussels in a bowl of fresh, cold water for 30 minutes. Use a knife to scrape growths off the shells and pull off the beards, rinsing the mussels as you go, then set aside in a clean bowl. Discard mussels that do not close tightly upon tapping. To a large pot over medium heat, add 1 cup of water and all the mussels, then bring to a boil with the lid on. Cook for 6—8 minutes, steaming until the mussels have opened. Stir and cook for another minute to make sure all the mussels are cooked. Remove from the heat and pour the liquid through a muslin cloth or fine sieve into a jug or bowl, reserving it for later. Set the mussels aside, discarding any that didn’t open. In a large wide pot, melt the butter and fry the onion until just softened. Add the garlic, stir for another minute, then add the dry spices and stir. Cook for a minute, then add the coconut cream, sugar, salt and pepper and 1½ cups of the reserved mussel cooking liquid. Stir, then bring to a simmer. Add the cooked mussels all at once and cover with a lid, allowing them to reheat for 3—5 minutes, gently shaking the pot once or twice. Scatter with coriander, remove from the heat and serve at once with some bread.
Carmen Niehaus 