Braai Shots and More: Food 'Bauchery

At this time you may be wondering how my liver has managed to survive this voyage. The answer is braai. South Africans have come up with an ingenious way to absorb all the magnificent wine they ingest: by piling up vineyard cuttings in a wood-fire grill, letting the coals burn down while they drink copious amounts, and then throwing whatever tasty animals they can find onto the grill with a simple-yet-impossible-to-reproduce "braai seasoning" and let it work its magic. 

 

Thanks to my host mother Elmien's phenomenal home cooking, the braai skills every South African man appears to be born with, and several delicious meals out, I have managed to give the size 4 bridesmaid dress I'm supposed to wear to my friend Heidi's wedding next weekend a serious run for its money. Trust me, these shots don't do this kind of food justice. 

 

Whole chickens on the braai at my host family's house for a Saturday evening

dinner, with garlic bread wrapped in foil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little moonshine to shoot with that
braai...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lamb wrapped in phyllo dough at Long Table restaurant at Haskell Vineyards in Helderberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what I drank with it...Amazing
syrah by Rianie Strydom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sean, Elmien's son-in-law, making potjies: a slow-cooked meat and vegetable mixture, in this case made with chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Springbok medallions with blueberry glaze at Long Table

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albie demonstrates the art of the braai