Top 5 braai recipes for National Braai Day

National Braai Day (24 September) is just around the corner and it’s time to sort out the braai menu for the big event.

Chicken kebabs with spicy peanut satay sauce recipe

This recipe makes six kebabs.

Ingredients for the chicken kebabs

* 500g skinless chicken breasts
* A red and a yellow pepper
Ingredients for the satay sauce

* 1/2 onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 2 tsp chilli paste
* 1/4 cup crunchy, unsweetened peanut butter
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 tsp soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp brown sugar
* Kebab sticks
Cooking method

For the kebabs, cut the chicken into chunks and slice the peppers into small squares. Thread the chicken and peppers onto kebab sticks (if you soak the sticks first, they won’t burn), alternating between chicken and different coloured peppers. Grill the kebabs on the braai or on a griddle pan on your stove until the chicken is cooked through. To make the satay sauce, fry the onion in some oil until soft. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for about a minute. Turn the heat down to low, add the peanut butter and stir to combine. Add the water, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar and continue stirring for three minutes or until the sauce is thick.

Tip

Add peppadews, pineapple or sliced onion to the kebabs.

Hilary’s Magic Mushrooms

Serves 4

Hilary Ford gave us this tasty, simple and only slightly sinful recipe when we spent a few wonderful days at Bushman’s with her. It is a great accompaniment to boerewors sausages or any braai.

Ingredients

* 4 flat brown mushrooms
* 1 onion
* 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
* 1 lemon
* 1 generous handful of grated cheese
* A good grinding of salt and pepper

Method

Slice the onion in to rings, divide evenly and add to each mushroom stalk up.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle the garlic and cheese on top.

Season and braai until the cheese melts.

We added feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Braaied garlic and peri-peri chicken drumsticks recipe

Delicious garlic and peri-peri chicken drumsticks for your next braai. And it’s super-easy too!

Serves 6

Ingredients

* 12 chicken drumsticks
* 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
* Peri-peri spice rub
Method

Use a sharp knife to cut along the bone of each drumstick and place a halved garlic clove in each cut. Rub peri-peri spice onto the exposed parts of meat and sprinkle over the skin. Braai over medium coals for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning often.

Butterflied leg of lamb recipe

This recipe serves six to eight.

Ingredients for the lamb

* 1.5 to 2kg leg of lamb, butterflied (ask your butcher)
* 200ml buttermilk
* 2 portions of Worldly rub
* Oil

Ingredients for the Worldly rub

* 1 tbs ground cumin
* 1 tbs paprika
* 1 tsp onion flakes (you can use fresh onions too)
* 2 tbs dry rose petals (not essential)
* 1 tbs salt
* 1 tbs turmeric
* 2 tbs chilli flakes (leave out if you don’t like hot spicy food)
* 1 tbs tamarind paste (often difficult to find and not essential)
* 3 tbs fresh parsley, fi nely chopped (essential)
* 2 tbs pine-nuts, toasted and ground (could be substituted with cashews or macadamias)
* ½ teaspoon pepper

Worldly rub

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. You can refrigerate the rub in an airtight container for up to two weeks (it’s ideal to make at home before you leave).

Lamb

Mix the buttermilk and Worldly rub to form a marinade for the lamb (for best results, rub directly into the meat before marinating). Ideally leave overnight, otherwise leave for at least three to four hours. Brush kettle grill with oil. Cook lamb over medium coals for 30 to 40 minutes depending on your preference. Remove and set aside for five to 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Lamb Sosaties

Makes 12 skewers

You need:

* 12 skewers, soaked in water overnight
* 1,5 kg leg of lamb, thick rib or shoulder, deboned and cut into 25mm cubes
* 2 medium onions, halved lengthways, peeled and blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes (retain water), refreshed in ice water and layers separated
* 100g (2/3 cup) dried apricots, soaked in onion water

Curry marinade:

* 4 large onions, sliced
* 15ml mild curry powder (any generic brand will do)
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 30ml cooking oil
* 750ml vinegar
* 45ml sugar
* 45ml apricot jam (or 30ml brown sugar)
* 4 bay leaves
* 7ml salt
* 5ml turmeric
* Pinch of pepper
* Pinch of chilli powder

Here’s how:

Sauté the onion in heated cooking oil until transparent.
Add the curry powder and fry for about two minutes.
Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes more. Set aside to cool.
Drain the meat, cover with the curry marinade and leave to marinate overnight.
Thread the skewers, alternating the meat, apricots and onion pieces.
Grill slowly over hot coals.