Five braai sides with a twist
Tired of the same old boring braai sides? Then you need to try these out!
Braais might just be the best part of summer. There’s nothing quite like opening that bottle of wine and spending a few lazy hours chatting with friends and family as the smell of smoke, suncream, and sizzling meat fills the air.
After the first ten though, you might find yourself getting a little bit sick of the same old potato salad and green salad. Where’s the fun in that? Next time you host or attend a braai, why not add one of these new dishes to the table? Who said braai food had to be traditional?!
Feta, watermelon and mint salad
This is perfect for midday braais when the sun is beating down and you need something cooling and refreshing alongside your steak. It’s super easy to prepare and even if you don’t really like fruit in salads, give this one a go. The salty feta pairs perfectly with the sweet watermelon, and the mint ties everything together nicely. You can use the dressing suggested above, or serve with a pre-bottled balsamic reduction or syrup.
German-style grilled potato salad
You’re already lighting up the braai, so you have the perfect excuse to try this grilled potato salad which has absolutely no mayo. Chuck the potatoes on the braai (before the meat) in foil packets, and then toss them with apple cider vinegar, bacon and olive oil. It’s a nice way to keep the potato salad theme going but change things up just enough to stop you hating the sight of potatoes at a braai.
In Asia, steamed or stir fried green vegetables are a really common addition to most meals. While we don’t often think of spring onions as anything other than a salad or soup garnish, they actually have a lovely mild flavour and are a great braai side to up the vegetable intake and offset the heaviness of all the red meat and carbs. You can use the braai, your oven grill or even just a hot frying pan for this. It only takes a few minutes and is super delicious. If you happen to have oyster sauce, a drizzle over the top makes for a delicious Asian-style side that everyone will love.
Garlic bread is great, but you know what’s even nicer and more impressive? Foccacia. This version uses store-bought pizza dough, which is super cheap and easily available so you can impress everyone with minimal effort. The beauty of foccacia is that you can top it with whatever you like. Some classic combinations include garlic and rosemary, black olive and feta, or even sundried tomato and onion. Whatever your choice of toppings, add plenty of coarse sea salt to the top and enjoy every bite!
A braai is a truly South African event, so it deserves a truly South African salad to go with it. Butternut, pumpkin seeds, figs, biltong, and chevin (goat's cheese) make this salty, sweet, sour, crunchy, and tangy all at once. Bookmark it for Heritage Day 2018… but you know, try it out earlier for “research”, of course!
ALSO READ: Eight steps to the perfect braai