Bundu Food for the African Bush, by Rita van Dyk

Bundu Food for the African Bush, by Rita van Dyk. Publisher: Random House Struik; ISBN 9781432301842 / ISBN 978-1-43230-184-2

Rita van Dyk over the years has authored several outdoor cooking bestsellers, including Bundu Food for the African Bush.

Rita van Dyk  

It's easy feeding a group of people on safari if they don't mind eating bully beef on Cream Crackers morning, noon and night. But if they have more sophisticated palates, or are simply fussy eaters, then you have got your work cut out for you. Hopefully this menu for 10 days in the bundu will help. Remember, the lists are not the be-all and end-all; add a good dash of common sense and adapt them to your needs. For example, there's meat on the packing list, but if you're travelling to a neighbouring country that has meat restrictions, you'll need to make a separate list and buy the meat there. Or, say, if you need to drive really far on the fourth day of your holiday and you'll only arrive at your destination quite late, you need to ensure that the menu for that day has a supper that can be whipped up in a jiffy. It's definitely not a night for a potjie. It is possible to buy fresh bread, veggies and fruit out in the sticks, but the golden rule is always to be self-sufficient. If you're unsure whether you'll find certain foodstuffs at your destination, rather plan ahead and take them along, or take the ingredients to make them. [...]

Recipe: Fish bobotie

Serves 4-6. The ocean is a source of healthy and tasty foods that can be prepared in many exciting ways. Try your hand at this tasty fish bobotie.

1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons chutney
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup boiling water
1 thick slice white bread, crusts removed, soaked in milk
500 g cooked white fish, bones removed, flaked
2 tablespoons sultanas or seedless raisins
3 eggs
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup milk

Fry the onion in the oil until soft. Add the chutney, vinegar, curry powder, turmeric, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the water and stir through until the sauce thickens. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and into a separate bowl and set aside for later use. Mix the bread and fish together. Add the bread mixture and sultanas to the curry sauce. Beat one of the eggs and add to the curry sauce. Place a wire rack into a cast-iron pot. Spoon the fish mixture into a greased, fireproof dish that will fit into the pot. Push the bay leaves halfway into the bobotie. Beat the remaining eggs and milk together to make the egg custard. Pour the custard over the bobotie. Place the bobotie onto the wire rack in the pot and bake for 30 minutes or until the custard has set. Pack hot coals on the lid of the cast-iron pot so the heat comes mainly from the top. Serve with sliced bananas and chutney. Tip: If you want to give the bobotie a modern twist simply bake it in a bigger container. The layer of bobotie will be thinner and you can use a cookie cutter or a small glass to press out bobotie rounds. Arrange the bobotie rounds on top of each other on the serving plates. Now you have mini-towers of food in the bush!

This is an excerpt from the book: Bundu Food for the African Bush, by Rita van Dyk.

Title: Bundu Food for the African Bush
Author: Rita van Dyk
Publisher: Random House Struik
Imprint: Lifestyle
Cape Town, South Africa 2013
ISBN 9781432301842 / ISBN 978-1-43230-184-2
Softcover, 21x21 cm, 160 pages, throughout colour photos