The 4x4 Safari Cookbook, by Rita an Dyk

The 4x4 Safari Cookbook, by Rita van Dyk. Struik Publishers. Cape Town, South Africa 2006. ISBN 9781770072275 / ISBN 978-1-77007-227-5

Rita van Dyk is well qualified to write The 4x4 Safari Cookbook. A South African cook and caterer she worked for several 4x4 expeditions and television projekts in remote areas of southern Africa.

Rita van Dyk  

[...] To bake a dish, place the ingredients in the greased pot (grease the inside of the lid as well) and place the pot on a low grid over a bed of moderate-heat coals. Put a sheet of foil over the pot before putting on the lid (the foil should be larger than the diameter of the pot) to prevent ash from getting into the food. Heap additional coals on top of the lid. After about 30 minutes, remove the coals on top and lift the lid. If the dish doesn't seem to be cooking fast enough, place more live coals on the lid. Be careful not to put too many hot coals beneath the pot, but rather increase the heat on top by adding more coals to the lid, as the dish is more likely to burn if there are too many hot coals underneath. The temperature of the coals will depend on the type and quantity of wood you use. Experience is the only way to determine the time a dish needs to bake. For instance, bread takes quite some time to bake and is best cooked underground. To do this, dig a hole somewhat larger than the pot and fill it with a blazing hardwood fire. When the blaze has burned down to coals, shovel out about half of them. Put the pot in the hole and ease it in until it is evenly settled. Rake the embers back in until the entire pot, except the handle, is hidden. Remember, lifting the lid will cause the potjie to lose heat, so don't lift it unnecessarily. Once again, experience is required to know how long the bread will take to bake, and it depends on the amount and quality of coals used. Coals that are too hot will burn the bread and those that are too cold will not bake it. Experiment at home a few times before setting out on safari. To bake a cake or baked pudding, any one of the methods mentioned above may be used. You could also use a small, round cake tin, preferably with a loose bottom, and a baking rack that fits into your potjie. Baking the cake or pudding in this tin, inside the potjie, is usually more successful than placing the batter directly into the potjie. [...]

Recipe from Rita an Dyk's 4x4 Safari Cookbook:

Outdoor koeksisters
2 cups water
3 cups white sugar
A piece of dried orange rind
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon oil
Oil for deep-frying

Heat the water, sugar and orange rind in a small saucepan. Boil for 7 minutes, remove from the heat and add the golden syrup. Wait until the syrup has cooled and then place it in a sealed container in the fridge or a cool box to chill. To make the 'koeksisters', mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Beat the egg very well with a whisk. Add the orange juice and teaspoon of oil to the egg, beat lightly and then mix in thoroughly with the flour mixture. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a medium saucepan over moderate coals. Fry teaspoons of the dough mixture in the oil until golden and baked through. Fry only a few 'koeksisters' at a time. As soon as they are ready, remove from the oil and dip them in the cold syrup for a few seconds. (It is a good idea to place the syrup container in a larger one filled with ice, if available, so that the syrup remains cold.) If you have a draining rack, place the 'koeksisters' on the rack, otherwise put them on a plate and lick the sauce off afterwards! (makes 30)

This is an excerpt from The 4x4 Safari Cookbook, by Rita an Dyk.

Title: The 4x4 Safari Cookbook
Author: Rita van Dyk
Publisher: Struik Publishers
Cape Town, South Africa 2006
ISBN 9781770072275 / ISBN 978-1-77007-227-5
Softcover, 21 x 21 cm, 160 pages, many colour photos