On the Coals

Found tucked away along the coast path near Portscatho on the remote Roseland Peninsula, the Hidden Hut is a special spot to enjoy freshly cooked food out in the sea air

Something which demanded a much closer look this morning. Battled a bit to untangle it all. But it was worth it.

A fusion market burger. The handiwork of the Urban Streatery.

 

“I  made this beast of a burger, inspired by Xmas Market food. Hell Bent South African burgers cooked over some Sussex charcoal on an OVO Kamado.

Balanced on an oven bottom muffin with my metalhead mayo, hot rocket mix, 2 cheese slices, a chargrilled boerwors sausage, homemade sauerkraut slaw and a mulled wine bbq sauce.

Finally finished with crispy onions.”

From what I can gather, besides being passionate about what is on the coals The Urban Streatery is a mobile caterer available for hire at festivals, corporate events, private parties and weddings.

Mexican inspired street food served up on a crispy corn taco. Brinner toastadas; bacon, black pudding, chorizo, potato, mushroom, scrambled egg, tomato and habenero chutney, diced onion, cherry tomato, coriander, red chilli and pickled red onions.

Kielbasa slaska regionalna

Fork It Fries Dartford Kent  forkitfries.co.uk

Bok and Rose St Albans

Rolpek Sils Sausage

Duda Torunska Sausage

Morliny Masurian Sausage Tesco

SA Butcher Barking

Podwawelska Sausage

Cheese grillers Boerie

 

Closer to a barbeque than a braai, jerk chicken is cooked over coals. But what makes it traditionally authentic is the smoking process.

Ideally green pimento wood.

South Africans in the UK are spoilt for choices when it comes to shopping online for food products and nostalgia purchases. But it is a very, very competitive market. No shortage of Google Ads, all vying for that slot on the first page of the search results.

Which actually complicates things.

It’s less like the home one wants to remember. Facebook is more of the same. There is no shortage of groups to join, of people offering help and advice.

Despite which, moving and settling in the UK is still a challenge. Finding ones feet is not easy.

The biggest challenge we all have to face sooner or later is that things change. There is little point in looking back over your shoulder. We have to start again and build from scratch. Those sometimes dark days are done, experience, memories. But there is no reason not to explore a little.

Which is why I thought I would order my boerewors from an English butcher in the North West just to see how it is done.

There is a story behind the range of Chorleys sauces. It is a story about a life in Africa.

One that that starts in, what was at that time, Rhodesia and which has been told many times before over an open fire.

A story which has grown into a small family business now based in Truro, Cornwall. A county on England’s rugged southwestern tip, a peninsula that encompasses wild moorland and numerous sandy beaches.

Typically South African, Chorley’s Restaurant is all about family, hospitality and more than you can eat. Wors, bunny chow, calamari, chicken wings, thighs and ribs smothered in a choice of their sauce.

With some of the best biltong in the uk, dried wors and the sauces all online.

As well as authentic South African boerewors which can be purchased from their restaurant.

Southamptons High St is home to a welcome refuge for South African expats who are missing OuMa’s rusks with their koffie.

Biltong and Bangers is hard to miss. Bold and brash they stock a wide range of imported foodstuffs and products at suprisingly reasonable prices.

Besides the biltong, the rusks and the boerewors there are biscuits to make even the staunchest die-hard a little wistful and for a brief moment to forget all that bitter stuff that made them pack up and leave.

The chilli sauces are worth a mention as well as the South African beer when it is available.

Mopani Trading operate from a warehouse at the Ford Airfield Industrial Estate with stalls at the Horsham and Fareham street markets. Providing top quality meats and South African dry goods throughout West Sussex and the South of England.

They also make homemade rusks, fudge and melktert to order.

As well as some of the best biltong and boerewors in the UK

Chilli sticks, drywors and vacuum packed Texan rump steaks

Potjie pots, jaffle irons and braai equipment

Haven’t even thought about a braai since arriving in the UK. Somehow it doesn’t fit.

But that hasn’t stopped me stopping to try the biltong on offer at the Farmers Markets.

Or asking who does the best boerewors on the south coast of England.