Make sure there is something good to snack on before the feasting begins. Incorporate starters into a braai with some spiced chicken wings.Or grill some boerewors to create a boerie twistie platter with nacho chips, spicy tomato salsa and guacamole. Easy-to-assemble platters with a spread of hummus, olives and a mix of raw vegetables are also a great healthy option.
Create a table fest with an assortment of meat, such as lamb ribs, pork chops, easy-to-eat ribbetjes, chicken kebabs and a range of steaks. Your guests will love the variety.
For a more budget-friendly option, try different variations of chicken from a spachtcock chicken to espetadas.
Marinades add flavour to meat with the right mix of acidity, oil and flavouring. It’s best to marinate the meat a few hours before the braai to enhance the flavours and preserve the meat’s moisture when it cooks.
To save time, ready-marinated or pre-spiced meat is a good option. It’s ready to go, and you can pick different flavours.
Don’t forget to have a vegetarian option. A halloumi burger with zingy slaw is a fun alternative to your typical mushroom burger – cook the halloumi just before serving to prevent a rubbery texture.
A great braai always needs a side dish, or three. Serve a classic accompaniment – a potato salad, coleslaw, three-bean salad, or grilled mielies – with something new like caprese-roasted red pepper.
Halve a red bell or sweet Palermo pepper and fill it with bocconcini balls and baby red vine tomatoes and grill it over the braai. Serve hot with dollops of basil pesto and a few basil leaves.
No braai is complete without a braaibroodjie of sorts. For the wow-factor, create an Italian twist on the much-loved braaibroodjie – the pizza braai pie.
It will take less than an hour to make, but have people talking about it for hours, possibly days.
