66 recipes
Air-Fried Pumpkin Fritters
Caramelised air-fried pumpkin is mashed and folded into a spiced batter, then shallow-fried until deeply golden and crisp. Air-frying the pumpkin first keeps the batter firm and packs in rich, concentrated flavour.
Crisp Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
A fresh, crunchy green salad with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado, tossed in a punchy wholegrain mustard and red wine vinegar dressing. Quick to assemble and a bright counterpoint to the rich chicken.
Creamy Braised Chicken Thighs with Bacon
Bone-in chicken thighs are seared until golden, then slowly braised with bacon, onions, white wine, and mustard before being finished with a luscious cream sauce. Rich, deeply flavoured comfort food at its best.
Portuguese Rolls (Papo Secos)
Classic Portuguese bread rolls with a distinctive centre split and gloriously crispy crust. Enjoy them warm straight from the oven for the perfect crackle with every bite.
Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken Livers
Rich, fiery and gloriously smooth — a tomato-forward sauce kissed with cream and peri peri heat that'll have you coming back for more.
Harissa Yoghurt
Cool, creamy, spicy. One spoon on the side of every plate. Two minutes to make, ties the whole feast together.
Orange & Red Onion Salad
Bright, sharp, cuts through the richness of the tagine. The orange juice that pools on the platter is the dressing — soak your bread in it at the end. Don't waste a drop.
Herby Couscous
Fluffy, fragrant, loaded with herbs and toasted almonds. The base that soaks up all that tagine sauce. Five minutes of work, done while the lamb finishes.
Lamb Neck Potjie Tagine
Low and slow over the coals, Moroccan style. The smoke gets into the sauce, the lamb falls apart, and the preserved lemon and apricots do the sweet-savoury Moroccan dance. This is what a potjie was built for.
Pizza-Dough Flatbreads on the Coals
Your usual quick pizza dough, portioned smaller and rolled thinner. It will puff hard on the braai — which is exactly what you want. Closer to a proper pita than a thin lavash.
Chopped Greek-Style Salad
Simple. No feta needed — the halloumi is doing that job tonight. The trick is salting the tomatoes early so they release their juice, which becomes the dressing.
Herbed Yoghurt
The glue of the platter. Goes on everything — chickpeas, chicken, halloumi, straight on the flatbread. Make it first, let the flavours marry.
Charred Halloumi with Crushed Chickpeas
Halloumi gets a deep golden crust in cast iron on the braai. The chickpeas underneath are a mix of whole and smashed — lemony, garlicky, loaded with herbs. The whole thing sits on warm flatbread.
Lemon-Oregano Chicken Breasts
Butterflied so they cook fast and stay juicy. The marinade is barely more than lemon, garlic, oregano and oil — which is exactly the point.
Easy Cheese Braaibroodjies
Craving the simple, melting goodness of cheese on warm braaibrood? This cheesy classic is pure comfort food at its finest.
Braai Pork Neck Fillet
Succulent pork neck fillet glistens with a sticky garlic marinade, caramelising beautifully over the coals without burning. The generous fat marbling keeps every bite juicy and flavourful—pure braai perfection.
Bosvark BBQ Chicken Pizza
Braai baste instead of tomato sauce, shredded chicken, red onion, fresh coriander added after baking, and a drizzle of honey to finish — trust the process. One 28 cm pizza.
Salami Picante Pizza
A punchy, spicy pizza loaded with salami or chorizo, melted mozzarella and a hit of chilli — simple and seriously satisfying. One 28 cm pizza.
Ham and Mushroom Pizza
A crowd-pleasing classic combo — torn ham, thin-sliced brown mushrooms and melted mozzarella on a simple tomato base. One 28 cm pizza.
Margherita Pizza
The classic — simple tomato sauce, torn mozzarella, fresh basil added after baking, and a drizzle of olive oil. One 28 cm pizza.
Simple Pizza Sauce
No cooking required — it cooks on the pizza. This is the Italian way and it's so much better than a long-simmered sauce. Makes enough for 4 pizzas.
Beginner Pizza Dough
Easy midweek pizza dough. Two hours start to finish, rolling pin instead of hand-stretching, baking paper instead of peels. No shaping into balls, no fancy techniques. Just good pizza. Makes 4 medium pizzas (28 cm each).
The Ultimate Lasagne
Three things done properly: a slow-cooked ragu, a smooth béchamel, and patience to let it rest before slicing. The Italian secret of milk in the ragu rounds out the acidity, and four layers minimum gives you the contrast that makes a great lasagne.
Homemade Peri-Peri Sauce
Master the art of making your own peri-peri sauce at home—it's easier than you might think, and the flavour is absolutely worth it. This vibrant blend of fresh chillies, garlic, and warming spices delivers that authentic, fiery kick that transforms any meal into something special.
Geelrys (Yellow Rice)
Traditional South African yellow rice fragrant with turmeric and cinnamon — the essential accompaniment to bobotie.
Bobotie
A beloved Cape Malay classic made with 500 g beef mince, warm spices, chutney and apricot jam, topped with a silky baked egg custard. No raisins.
Bacon & Egg Pasta
A kid-friendly, creamy bacon and egg pasta that delivers all the comfort of carbonara without the risk of scrambled eggs — the cream gives you a wider safety window. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Peri Peri Chicken on Chakalaka
Juicy pan-fried (or on the braai) peri peri chicken thighs served on top of a hearty homemade chakalaka, finished with a punchy peri peri butter drizzle. A bold, flavour-packed South African-inspired weeknight dinner.
The Ultimate Braaibroodjie
Decadent, oozy, properly cheesy — the pantry-edit, sandwich-loaf and bocconcini version. Dual cheddar and bocconcini filling with Mrs Balls chutney, fresh basil, and a butter-mayo crust for that deep golden finish.
Honey Roasted Carrots with Thyme
Sweet, caramelised oven-roasted carrots glazed with honey and butter, fragrant with garlic and thyme. A simple but impressive side dish that pairs beautifully with braai fare.
Curried Chicken Skewers
Mild, kid-friendly chicken sosaties marinated in a cooked-out curry base and finished on the braai with a sticky teriyaki-Bovril glaze. Makes 8 skewers and serves 4.
Cucumber, Avo & Feta Salad
A cool, fresh salad of cucumber, creamy avocado, crumbled feta and red onion with a light lemon-honey dressing — the perfect counterpoint to the fire and richness of a braai spread.
Tomato & Onion Sous (Smoor)
A jammy, smoky tomato and onion sauce gently spiced with curry powder and smoked paprika — the classic companion poured over stywepap at the braai.
Stywepap
Smooth, stiff maize meal pap — the essential braai partner, cooked low and slow until it pulls away from the sides of the pot and holds its shape.
Rosemary & Lemon Lamb Chops
Juicy lamb loin or rib chops marinated in rosemary, garlic and lemon, then braaied over medium-hot coals until the fat is golden and crisp at the edges.
Fresh Caprese Salad
The fresh, zingy counterpoint to the sticky ribs. Sweet room-temperature tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil, and good olive oil. Barely a recipe — more of an assembly.
Crispy Oven Chips
Thick-cut potato chips soaked to remove starch, dried thoroughly, and roasted at high heat until golden and crispy. Finished with smoked paprika and salt flakes — serve immediately.
The Chutney Baste (Proper SA Style)
A sticky, sweet, tangy, smoky baste made entirely from South African pantry staples. Makes about 250ml — enough to baste generously with some left over for the table.
Sticky Oven-to-Fire Ribs
Two racks of pork spare ribs, slow-cooked in the oven until tender and ready to fall from the bone, then finished on open coals with a sticky chutney and tomato baste. This is the Friday night you were hoping for.
Street Style Chicken Tacos
Cape Town kitchen meets Mexican street corner — smoky, bright, and built for sharing. Using a Santa Anna's Street Style Taco kit as the starting point and building it out the proper way with pickled red onions, smashed avo, charred chicken, fresh dhania, and a lime squeeze at the table.
Fluffy Basmati Rice
The absorption method removes all guesswork from cooking rice. Remember the ratio — 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water — and you'll get separate, fluffy grains every single time.
Quick Soft Roti
A no-rest, no-yeast soft flatbread that comes together in the time it takes rice to steam. Perfect for scooping up curry, stew, or potjiekos gravy — soft, pliable, and kid-friendly.
Beef Potjiekos Stew
A proper South African beef stew built for Cape Town weeknights. The bone-in potjiekos cuts deliver that deep, marrow-rich gravy you usually only get from a 4-hour potjie — but done in 55 minutes give or take in the pressure cooker.
Homemade Caesar Salad
Discover the art of crafting an authentic Caesar salad at home. Rich, creamy dressing, crispy croutons, and fresh parmesan come together in minutes.
Easy Weeknight Bolognese
Discover how to make a proper midweek bolognese that's delicious and stress-free. With just two clever tricks, you'll have rich, tender sauce on the table in no time.
Fire-Roasted Garlic Potatoes
Whole potatoes rubbed with garlic and olive oil, wrapped in foil and buried in the braai coals until fluffy inside — smashed open and finished with butter and fresh herbs.
Salada de Tomate
A bright, simple Portuguese tomato and onion salad dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano — the juices that pool at the bottom are made for spooning over the espetada.
Rump Tail Espetada
A proper Portuguese-style espetada — rump tail cubes threaded with fresh bay leaves, marinated in garlic and wine vinegar, then cooked over medium coals and finished with a garlic butter baste.
Ciabatta
An overnight biga ciabatta with an open, bubbly crumb and a deep golden crust — made with a wet, barely-handled dough. Buy a good artisan loaf if time is short, or commit to the 24-hour bake.
Tomato & Kalamata Olive Salad
A simple, vibrant bowl of mixed cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives dressed with oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil — best after a short rest so the juices mingle.
Hummus
Fluffy, silky hummus blended long and slow with tahini, garlic, cumin and ice cold water — properly smooth rather than pasty, finished with olive oil and smoked paprika.
Nectarine, Plum & Raspberry Salad
A jewel-bright stone fruit salad with a shocking pink raspberry dressing, bitter celery leaves, fresh parsley and thinly sliced red onion — sweet, sharp and completely different to a green salad.
Roasted Aubergine with Tahini & Herbs
Thick aubergine rounds roasted at high heat until golden and creamy in the centre, draped with a silky lemon-garlic tahini sauce and scattered with fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds.
Turmeric Cauliflower, Chickpea & Butternut Salad
Warm roasted cauliflower, butternut and chickpeas spiced with turmeric, cumin and chilli, tossed with cool baby spinach, fresh parsley and a sharp lemon dressing.
Lemon & Cumin Roasted Lamb
The centrepiece of the feast — butterflied lamb leg marinated in cumin, coriander, rosemary and lemon, seared for colour then roasted to a blushing pink medium-rare and rested before slicing.
Slap Chips
Proper Greek-taverna style double-fried chips — soft and fluffy inside, golden and crisp outside — finished with salt and a pinch of dried oregano.
Greek Village Salad
A simple, bright salad of ripe tomatoes, chunky cucumber and thinly sliced red onion dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano — the fresh counterpoint to all that grilled meat.
Homemade Pita Flatbreads
Soft, pliable flatbreads with a blistered leopard-spot finish, cooked on a screaming-hot dry cast iron pan — makes 8 and wraps around everything on the platter.
Tzatziki
A thick, garlicky Greek yogurt dip loaded with squeezed cucumber, fresh dill and mint — the essential sauce for the gyros feast.
Lamb Gyros
A whole lamb rump marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs, grilled over the coals to a blushing medium-rare, then sliced and chopped into juicy bite-sized pieces for the platter.
Chicken Gyros
Yogurt-marinated chicken thigh chunks grilled over medium-hot coals until charred outside and juicy within, then roughly chopped ready for wrapping in pita.
Big Green Salad
A crisp, herby and sharp green salad with shaved fennel, cherry tomatoes and a bright lemon dressing — designed to cut through the richness of the mains.
Lemon Risotto
A creamy, bright lemon risotto cooked in a wide cast-iron pan directly on the fire — the anchor of the meal that times everything else.
Tagliatelle with Tomato Sauce
Simple, silky tagliatelle tossed in the same slow-cooked tomato sauce used for the chicken parmigiana — a crowd-pleasing pasta for the table.
Chicken Parmigiana
Butterflied chicken breasts crumbed in panko and parmesan, fried in cast-iron over the fire, then topped with slow-cooked tomato sauce, prosciutto, and torn fresh mozzarella and finished in the pizza oven.
Panko-Crusted Lamb Chops
Crispy, lemon-scented panko-crumbed lamb chops fried in cast-iron over glowing coals and finished in the pizza oven for a wood-smoke crust.