Braai Bunnies

You might be tempted to think that this is a recipe to do with Playboy Bunnies having a braai. I don’t blame you, but I’m afraid that this is not that kind of book – I’m a married man! This is Rust n Dust’s recipe and they say it combines two of their favourite things (careful now…): braais and bunny chows. My kind of guys!

 Oh, and a word of advice – get your fires going early!

This takes about 3 hours to make.

For the Roosterkoek:

• a pinch of sugar
• 10g dried yeast
• 100 ml lukewarm water
• 400 g flour
• a knob of butter
• 2 eggs
• sunflower oil

Firstly you’re going to activate the yeast. Do this by mixing the sugar, yeast and warm water together, then sprinkle a tablespoon of flour on top to prevent the mixture from forming a dry crust. Take the bowl to a sunny spot and leave it there until it’s frothy. In the meantime, go wash your hands then grab another mixing bowl, sieve in the flour, add the salt and then, using your fingertips, rub in the butter. Put it to the side, beat the eggs lightly with a fork and add it to the yeast mixture. Make a hollow in the dough, pour in the yeast and egg mixture and knead well until you have a soft, pliable dough. Brush the dough with sunflower oil, place it in a big bowl, cover with cling wrap or a damp tea towel, and take it back to that same warm and sunny spot to let it double in size. This should take about 40 minutes and should give you enough time to get on with the curry part of your bunny.

For the Curry Sauce:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves crushed garlic, chopped
• about half a cup of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of your favourite masala – Rust n Dust like it hot
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tin tomato & onion mix (My advice is to rather make your own than use a tin, but it’s up to you)
• 450ml good quality beef stock
• about 400g chuck (steak)

Roughly chop up the chuck then rub with salt and pepper to taste. Test the temperature of your coals, then heat up a medium-size potjie pot, add a splash of olive oil and then the onions. Once cooked, add the garlic but be careful not to burn it. Add the masala (don’t stick your nose into the pot!) and cook a little longer. Next chuck the chuck (had to do that!) into the potjie and cook it until it has mixed with the spices and the fat has heated up. Add the tomato paste stir it around for about a minute, then add the tomato and onion mix, coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Cook it for another minute, then add the beef stock. Let it come to the boil, reduce the heat (do this by scraping out some of the coals) and let the potjie simmer away for about an hour or until the sauce has reduced and is nice and thick. Once the curry has settled, pick out the chuck pieces (Rust and Dust says it’s and awesome snack, but I have my reservations) and leave the sauce for the bunnies.

Kebabs:

• 12 satay kebab sticks
• 12 skinless, deboned chicken thighs
• 1 pineapple, skinned and cubed (you need 12 cubes)

These are dipping kebabs, so they’re a bit smaller than usual. Start by cutting each chicken thigh in half, spice them with your favourite braai spice, then marinade them in a bit of the curry sauce for about an hour. Thread two pieces of chicken onto a kebab stick, with a cube of pineapple in between each. Braai on medium hot coals until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are nice and crispy.

At the same time that your chicken is cooking, your braai buddy should be busy with the roosterkoek. This is what he / she needs to do: Once your dough has doubled in size, make six equal cube shaped roosterkoeke – they should like mini government loaves. Braai them until golden brown all sides and cooked through.

 Feed your Friends

Slice the top off each roosterkoek and scoop out some of the insides to make a bowl. Keep the top and the dough – it’s great for mopping up left over sauce. Fill the inside with the roosterkoek with curry sauce, and place two kebabs on top.

Grab a kebab, dip it into the curry sauce and enjoy! Be prepared to get your hands dirty and have sauce dribbling off your chin! Wash it all down with an ice-cold beer.

Rust n Dust’s note: “We made these braai bunnies with the Wild Coast in mind, but as it goes, rules are meant to be broken. So if you find yourself in the Karoo, try lamb and prune kebabs, or up North try venison and plum tomatoes…the combinations are endless!”