Bush Cooking, by Rita van Dyk

Bush Cooking, by Rita van Dyk. Struik Lifestyle. Penguin Random House South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa 2018. ISBN 9781432308599 / ISBN 978-1-43230-859-9

Bush Cooking, by Rita van Dyk, is the answer when you’re camping and you’re in the mood for more than another boerie roll for supper.

Rita van Dyk  

Example: Recipe for sweet and savoury jaffle

All jaffles are prepared the same way, whether they have a savoury or a sweet filling. Use two slices of white bread per jaffle, spread both the inside and outside with butter (not margarine or oil – butter, butter, butter). Always heat both sides of the jaffle iron before you start baking the jaffles and brush the inside of the jaffle iron with a little butter. Be careful not to burn yourself when taking the jaffle out of the iron – keep a section of your work surface clear so that you can place the jaffle iron there and open it before removing the jaffle with a knife and transferring it to a plate or bowl. Place a slice of bread in the jaffle iron. Press lightly with the back of a spoon to create a slight hollow and so that the bread sits snugly in the jaffle iron. Spoon the filling into the hollow, then top with a second slice of bread. Close the jaffle iron tightly. Trim off any protruding crusts. Place the jaffle iron on a gas stove or braai grid over medium coals. Turn the jaffle iron regularly so that the jaffle bakes evenly on both sides. If you’re not keen on bread with a sweet filling, pack a roll of flaky pastry into your camp freezer so that you can make a delicious sweet treat. Remove the plastic wrapping from the thawed pastry, roll out and then cut into four strips. Grease the jaffle iron well with butter. Place one strip of pastry into the jaffle iron, spoon in the filling and then fold over the overhanging strip of pastry. Close the jaffle iron and trim any protruding pastry – keep the offcuts to make a fifth jaffle. Remember that the pastry needs to bake over a lower heat and that it will take longer to cook. Turn the jaffle iron regularly. Recipes for jaffle cakes and muffins have also been included here – now you no longer have an excuse not to make a jaffle or six every day! All the jaffle fillings given here can also be used to make toasties. So if you don’t own a jaffle iron, you can make toasties instead.

Bobotie filling

Makes 6–8: THIS IS A STANDARD BOBOTIE RECIPE, JUST WITHOUT THE EGG CUSTARD TOPPING.

2 tablespoons olive oil
500 g mince
1 onion, chopped
1 slice white bread, soaked in ½ cup milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon flaked almonds (optional)
¼ cup seedless raisins or sultanas
3 tablespoons chutney (plus extra for serving)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12–16 slices white bread

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and mince until cooked. Add the remaining ingredients, except the slices of bread, and stir for about 5 minutes until well mixed and cooked through. Transfer the filling to a bowl, press until the mince is firm and then refrigerate in the camp fridge for a couple of hours. When you’re ready to make the jaf- fles, place spoonfuls of filling onto half the slices of bread with a dollop of chutney. Top with the remaining slices of bread and cook each jaffle until done. TIP: If you’re in a hurry, you can spoon the filling onto the bread as soon as you’ve finished cooking it.

This is an excerpt from Bush Cooking, by Rita van Dyk.

Title: Bush Cooking
Author: Rita van Dyk
Imprint: Struik Lifestyle
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa 2018
ISBN 9781432308599 / ISBN 978-1-43230-859-9
Softcover, 21 x 21 cm, 160 pages, 75 colour food photos