SAMREC (Beer Batter Fried Fish & Chunky Chips)

SunWun and I headed off to SAMREC (South African Marine Rehabilitation & Education Centre) at the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, on Heritage Day for a penguin release. Well, we missed it by a few minutes as each car had to be registered at the Security entrance. Anyway it wasn't a problem as we got out into a part of Port Elizabeth we don't usually get to.

This is Grumpy, the Penguin, not the wonderful Volunteer Keith. He's brain damaged so cannot be released back into the wild and is kept for education purposes.

Even though we had missed the release, we were incredibly fortunate to see this particular juvenile African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the Black-footed Penguin, who has not been around adults long enough to be told that Penguins are flightless. I was fortunate enough to catch this fellow coming in for a landing. It just shows that we really shouldn't believe everything adults tell us. 

If you are interested in learning more about SAMREC please follow them on Facebook. They do amazing work for all sorts of Marine wildlife.

Beer Batter Fried Fish & Chunky Chips

• ·         4 large (about 200g each) unpeeled potatoes, cut into wedges. Par boil potatoes first if you like.

  ·         2 tsp olive oil

  ·         225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour

  ·         1 egg, whisked

  ·         375ml (1 1/2 cups) chilled beer. You can now get some amazing Craft Beers in your favourite Booze Store. Each one will make your meal a unique experience.

  ·         Salt & freshly ground black pepper

  ·         Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

  ·         8 (about 120g each) white fish fillets (such as Hake)

  ·         Sea salt flakes, to serve

  ·         Lemon wedges, to serve
  Preheat oven to 200°C.

  Spray a baking tray with Spray and Cook and place potato wedges on tray.

  Drizzle with olive oil.

  Cook in oven, turning occasionally, for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

  
  

  Meanwhile, place flour in a bowl.

  Add the egg and stir to combine.

  Gradually whisk in the beer until batter is smooth.

  Season with salt and pepper.

  Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

  
  

  Add enough vegetable oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 8cm.

  Heat to 190°C over high heat (when oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 10 seconds).

  Dip 2 pieces of fish, 1 at a time, into batter to coat. Drain off excess.

  Deep-fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.

  Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

  Repeat, in 3 more batches, with remaining fish and batter, reheating oil between batches.

  Season with sea salt flakes.
  Serve with tartare sauce (Recipe below) and lemon wedges.
  
  
  
  
  Tartare sauce
  ·         1 egg yolk

  ·         1 tbs fresh lemon juice

  ·         2 tsp mustard powder

  ·         250ml (1 cup) light olive oil

  ·         2 tbs drained capers, finely chopped

  ·         8 baby gherkins, finely chopped

  ·         2 small onions or shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped

  ·         2 tbs finely chopped fresh parsley

  ·         1 tbs finely chopped fresh dill

  ·         2 tbs finely chopped fresh chives

  ·         Salt & freshly ground black pepper

  ·         To make the tartare sauce, place the egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard powder in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture thickens. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin steady stream until mixture is creamy. Transfer to a bowl. Add capers, gherkin, shallot, parsley, dill and chives and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Kragga Kamma Game Park (Braai Burgers)

After hitting the road to my 50th year on planet Earth, and overcoming many frustrations, I am able to blog again. Amazing how much disappears into cyberspace when one is not looking.

Kragga Kamma Game Park is one of my happy places. For a quick Wildlife Whammy one only has to drive a short distance from the middle of Port Elizabeth to enjoy a day in the wild.

KKGP never fails to deliver and every season there is something different happening in nature.
 

Here are some pictures taken on a drive through the park.

BRAAI BURGERS

We enjoy the picnic spot and light a fire then braai burger patties and have a Build-A-Burger meal. The kids love it.................... and so do we 'cos everyone gets just what they want.

Ingredients

500g mince (Try something different - Ostrich, Lamb, Kudu, Zebra, Warthog, etc)

30g breadcrumbs (If yoU don't have any just pop 2 slices of bread into the toaster. Maybe toast them twice to really dry them out but keep an eye on them so they don't burn and then pop them into a sealable sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin or pop them into a blender and switch on)

1 Large egg (Free-Range if possible)

1 tsp Mixed Herbs.

Got your favourite spice on hand. Put some of that in as well.

1 medium finely chopped onion

1 tsp crushed garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fillings and Sauces as per your own personal taste.

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well with your hands. Shape into patties. Size to your own preference depending on Rolls or appetite.

Braai the burgers over a medium heat, build your burgers and enjoy.

Addo Elephant National Park (Braai Pie)

Those who know me, know that I have a soft spot for the Addo Elephant National Park. It is a rather large spot and I would rather spend a day in the park, if given the chance, than doing anything else.

I have an amazing friend who shares this passion and gets to take some great pics as well. The following pics were recently published in a few British newspapers last week as well as being showcased on  our very own 50/50 television programme on SABC 2. 

In the light of next week (9-13 September) being SANPARKS week I asked if I could publish the pics on my blog. I encourage you all to go and take a drive through your nearest SANPark. Go take a look here for your nearest one. www.sanparks.org

Anyway, this friend is part of one of the jewels of Port Elizabeth, "Kragga Kamma Game Park" where she plays an active and exceptionally high profile part against Rhino Poaching in our country. Amongst other things that this incredibly modest, yet talented lady is also the creator of "Africa, This is why I live here". A Facebook page for anyone who is "delighted, amused and amazed by the things you see, do and experience around you on a day to day basis whilst living in Africa (or have lived in Africa or visited Africa)". Feel free to click on the link and "LIKE" the page. It really is a feel good, fun-filled page.

Anyway, enough rambling!!!!! On a recent trip with her family she happened upon the following photographic story.

Please note that I have the full permission of the owner to share these photographs on this page. They are all copyrighted. Please do not copy them in any form without the express permission of the photographer. Details below.

This is the picture published in the newspapers:
The write up is from the Daily Mail:

The whole story unfolds in the following 11 photographs and the captions underneath are all hers:

Hey, do you feel like playing? 

"'kay, but let me have a drink of water first"

"I'll just sits here and wait for you" 

"Wee, I gots your back"

"..... Number 4 heads in to join the fun....." 

"......and that's when the trouble started!" 

"PILE - ON!" 

"HEY - You guys are HEAVY" 

"Okay, I stands on my tippie-toes then............... is that better?" 

"Squash, squash, squash.... too much of fun"

"BREAK IT UP KIDS - Before someone gets hurt!"

Thanks my Friendie for allowing me the honour of forwarding your amazing pics and story via my blog. Another visit to the park is long over due.

Ayesha can be contacted on ayesha@africathisiswhyilivehere.com

BRAAI PIE

This one is for over the coals & is one of my favourites having tried various pies with different fillings. Some with meat and others vegetarian. The pie can also be eaten cold the next day.

Ingredients

2 Rolls of puff pastry dough (pre bought from shop)
2 double handful of cut spinach
Any type of cooked meat (Chicken breast works the best)
250 g bacon
1 large onion
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
250 g mushrooms
100 g Feta cheese
100 g Cheddar cheese
100 g Mozzarella cheese
1 egg
¼ cup of milk

Method

Defrost the dough and roll out on cutting board. (Remember to place dough onto sandwich grill before you start stacking)
Fry onion and bacon together, set aside to cool.
Roughly chop meat, spinach, cheese and peppers.
Place the first handful of raw spinach on the dough, place meat on top, followed by the onion and bacon mixture, add the mushrooms on top.
Add any of your favourite herbs or spices to taste. Do not add salt. Ingredients are salty enough.
Add 3 cheeses and place the last of the spinach on top of the cheese.
Place 2nd piece of pasty over filling and tightly press edges with the bottom piece of pastry. It is a lot of filling, so flatten ingredients as you layer it. Brush with egg and milk mixture.
Use a sandwich grill with high edges and braai pie (not too low) on the coals.
Wrap in foil for first 15 minutes to avoid burning & sticking.
Turn over continuously and braai for approximately 20 minutes or until the pastry is brown evenly.
Cut into portions and enjoy!
For a vegetarian option…just leave out the meat. Still extremely delicious. Or even better.. invent your own combinations.

If you do try this recipe please let me have feedback. It's always exciting to hear what others think or have tried.