Dias Rock (Portuguese Grilled Sardines)

I really enjoy going to new places and discovering new thing. New to me that is.

I so remember the 500 year commemoration of Dias' journey of discovery in 1988.

Dias was the first European known to have sailed around the Southernmost tip of Africa in 1488.

I was in Port Elizabeth when the replica ship built for the voyage passed by in 1988 but had no idea a Park had been named for Bartholomeu Dias and that a Rock had been planted to commemorate this Portuguese Mariner.

So many more places to discover.

The Portuguese were reliant on the ocean for commerce and food and I'm sure the Seafarers spent many a day on a beach with a fire, grilling one of the staple ingredients the seas dished up. I get this craving from time to time and when I find fresh Sardines the fire is not far from being lit. And as most of those who know me, the fire and wine are never too far away. I don't need an excuse. 

PORTUGUESE GRILLED SARDINES

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

6 Medium sized fresh Sardines - If yo can't get fresh, use completely thawed frozen ones.

1/2 handful coarse salt

2 large Potatoes

2 Green Peppers

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus 1/4 cup

1/8 cup White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Onion, thinly sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, Thinly sliced

Salt & White Pepper

1 Large Tomato, sliced

Some slices of Cucumber if you like

Method:

Light the fire.

Scale and gut the sardines - Traditionally this is not done, yo just season them with lots of salt which is removed just before putting them on the grid.

Wash the sardines under cold, running water & pat dry with paper towel. Lightly salt the sardines with coarse salt and place in fridge. Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and cool.

Roast 2 Green Peppers over coals until charred. Place in bowl and cover with plastic to allow to steam for about 20 minutes. Remove plastic & peel and seed the peppers. Cut the peppers into 1 cm strips and combine with 1/4 cup Olive Oil & Vinegar, onion & garlic. Add tomato & Cucumber. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste.

Make sure coals are nice and hot, brush off some of the salt if you prefer & place sardines on the grid. You can use one of those  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise & place on grid. When the sardines are done on the first side, flip them over & give the potatoes a 1/4 turn to create grid marks.

Place sardines on plate with potato and green pepper salad. Drizzle with remaining Olive oil and enjoy! 

BOM APETITE!

Algoa Bay (Venison Hot Pot)

Evidence shows that way back Algoa Bay & what was to become the city of Port Elizabeth was occupied by the Khoikhoi, a nomadic people practising extensive pastoral agriculture. 

The first European to land in the bay was Bartholomew Diaz in 1488. Vasco Da Gama entered the bay in 1497 and Manuel de Perestrelo named the bay "Bahia de Lagoa" (Algoa Bay - Bay of the Lagoon) in 1576 (More of that in a future post). 

Almost 300 years go by, during which the area was little more than a landing place with fresh water.

In 1690 the Dutch East India Company sent a vessel to take possession of the bay. In 1752 August Beutler planted beacons in the Bay to discourage attempts by the French to colonize the remote Eastern coast of the Cape Colony & the first permanent settlement dates from farmers who settled in the area in 1776.

In 1799 the British built Fort Frederick on a hill next to the Baakens River overlooking Algoa Bay. It was the first British building erected in Africa, South of the Equator. The first stone building erected in the Eastern Cape still stands today.  

It was built, not so much as for defence against the Xhosa as to provide a military post from which to keep a wary eye on the burghers of Graaff-Reinet & at the same time to guard the landing place of Algoa Bay. 

The Fort appears far from the ocean but one needs to remember that originally the valley below the fort was a lagoon where ships would have berthed. 

The fort contained a guardhouse, a powder magazine & was armed with two 8 pounder land guns & manned by a garrison of 380 men. The original guns are no longer in the fort but 8 smaller ships cannons are on display.

No shot was ever fired from the Fort in anger.

One can imagine these soldiers having hefty appetites & as the saying goes “An army marches on it’s stomach”, not that these guys had very far to march, the offering for the pot probably came from a well-aimed rifle shot at whatever happened to move around in the Baakens River valley below the fort.

VENISON HOT POT.

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients :

1.5 kg Venison (I use Warthog, Kudu & Ostrich & substitute with whatever might be available. I have used Zebra, Buffalo, Wildebeest and many other types of venison available from my local speciality butcher) You can also use lean Beef or Mutton if Venison is not "your thing"! 

3 Tbls Olive Oil

50g Pork Rashers (Chopped into small blocks)

2 Medium Onions (Chopped)

2 cloves Garlic (Chopped)
3 Tbls Mixed Herbs
1 tsp Ground Coriander

4 small Carrots (peeled)

4 sticks Celery(Chopped)

1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Chutney (for a bit of a kick use Hot Chutney)

1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 Beef Stock cube

1/2 Cup Boiling Water

1/2 Cup Red Wine
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper

Half a bunch of fresh Coriander (Dhania)

Method:

Pour Oil into No.3 Potjie or a large Pot with lid over medium heat and when hot, add meat & chopped pork rashers.
Brown meat & then add onions & garlic & simmer gently for a few minutes. Stir often. Add in Herbs & Spices.
Stir well.
Add Celery. Stir into mixture.
Add Tomato Sauce, Chutney, Worcestershire Sauce, Beef Stock cube, Boiling Water & Wine.
Season with Salt & Pepper to taste.
Reduce heat.
Cook on very low heat for approximately 3 hours.
Stir often.
Add Carrots (& any other softer vegetables if preferred) 30 minutes or so before serving.
Open lid to allow liquid to reduce if necessary 
Before Serving remove from heat, chop Dhania and sprinkle on top of Hot Pot. Cover with lid for 2 minutes.

Serve on Brown Rice, Samp or Mielie Pap.

THE SAFARI BEGINS.............................................

So where does one start this sort of Blog??

Well, after many hours of deep introspection, cogitation, contemplation, meditation, pondering & ruminating, along with a few glasses of wine, (for inspiration, of course!!! Otherwise known as Mulling!!!!), many BBM's, Whatsapp's, FB Chats, SMS's, Emails and frantic phone calls to friends, acquaintances, fellow bloggers & other arbitrary musers, I decided to start in the city of my birth & where I find myself residing at this time of the journey I call life.

I hope that the recipes will also reflect something of the destinations. If you do decide to try one of my recipes, please post a pic or two and let me know how it turned out and how you liked, or disliked it. Let me know how you adapted it, if you needed to or how you would adapt it for the next time.

I really hope I can make this safari an exciting one for you, the blog reader, to follow, and who knows perhaps it will lead to further annual wanderings.