Increasingly, traditional British wedding meals \u2013 seated, three-course, usually featuring a prawn cocktail \u2013 are being scrapped in favour of more unique and informal options. Street food, hog roasts and \u201cbowl foods\u201d were all gaining traction even before the pandemic, which further fuelled the need for alfresco alternatives.<\/p>\n
It is little surprise, then, that Carrie and Boris Johnson reportedly opted for a braai \u2013 South Africa\u2019s answer to the barbecue \u2013 at their belated wedding celebrations last weekend. The event was said to be catered by Corby-based business Smoke & Braai, run by Zimbabwean chef Simon Chiremba, with beef braai boerewors rolls (sausages), masa corn tortilla tacos and smoked barbacoa lamb on the menu. It\u2019s a far cry from the bangers and burgers of a traditional British barbecue \u2013 but if you\u2019re thinking of branching out and hosting your own braai, then where is best to start?<\/p>\n
One you have the braai itself \u2013 which is, in essence, the same as a regular barbecue \u2013 it\u2019s important to \u201cbe as prepared as you can\u201d, according to Patrick Williams, the South African chef behind Kudu Grill, which centres on a custom-built braai, in south London. He too planned to have a braai at his wedding celebrations in 2020, but was scuppered by lockdowns. \u201cIt\u2019s a long process, you tend to only start the fire once the guests arrive. You can\u2019t just bang out burger patties or use gas like you might on a barbecue \u2013 it\u2019s not the same flavour. A braai is more of a social occasion: friends, family and neighbours might come over. It\u2019s all about the meat, the fire and the vibe,\u201d Williams says.<\/p>\n
While Williams uses wood and charcoal to give his food \u201cnice, smokey flavours\u201d, fellow South African Dan van Straaten, owner of the Coventry-based Let\u2019s Braai, which specialises in selling stainless steel braais, always opts for wood. \u201cWe cook over the embers, rather than the flame, which is why we use African hard wood \u2013 you can\u2019t do that with British wood,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely dense and heavy, the moisture level is pretty much zero and it smells unbelievably nice.\u201d Let\u2019s Braai sells rooikrans, sekelbos and kameeldoring woods which are \u201cderived from sustainable resources\u201d.<\/p>\n
Next, getting the temperature right is key. \u201cRed meats need a high temperature, whereas for fish and chicken you want to thin your charcoal out for a nice slow heat,\u201d says Williams. \u201cSo that, when the fat drips, it goes: \u2018Hiss!\u2019\u201d Swap pork bangers for more traditional boerewors, which are made from coarsely minced beef (sometimes combined with pork, lamb, or both) and spices, and are available from a number of specialist suppliers in the UK. \u201cThe quality of the products makes a big difference and using aged meats can be delicious,\u201d says Williams. \u201cSeason well with lots of black pepper and coriander.\u201d<\/p>\n
A braai is also a good way to give flavour to vegetables. Sweetcorn is a popular go-to, but Williams likes to braai hispi cabbage. \u201cI cut it in half, and cook it on the low embers until it is nice and caramelised, then turn it over and put the meat on the top, so that all the juices seep into it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
It was not mentioned on the Johnson menu, but Williams and Van Straaten rave about braaibroodjies, likening them to grilled toasties: cheese, chutney, tomato and onion is the most common filling. \u201cYou snack on them with a beer in your hand while you\u2019re waiting for the meat to cook,\u201d says Williams. \u201cThey\u2019re also a great brunch option.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Straaten also advocates using a braai to cook potjiekos \u2013 a traditional South African stew \u2013 in a cast iron pot. \u201cSomething like oxtail potjiekos can be left cooking all day. Not everywhere in South Africa has access to gas for cooking, so a braai is a solution for preparing food,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can basically cook anything on a braai.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Boris and Carrie Johnson opted for it at their wedding celebrations. Here\u2019s how you can recreate the feasting at home<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":14450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,36],"tags":[7,14,38],"class_list":{"0":"post-14453","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-lifestyle","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-lifestyle"},"yoast_head":"\n