BREAD & BUTTER
What’s cooking today: The traditional braaibroodjie
We all like to know which side our bread is buttered on, as the old idiom goes. And if we know what’s good for us, we’ll butter the braaibroodjie bread on the outside. Any arguments against this will be dismissed out of hand by the braaibroodjie cognoscenti.
Everybody who has ever prepared a braaibroodjie must have made the classic error, at least once, of using the buttered side of the bread on the inside, purely because it is our habit to butter it on the inside.
Even while preparing these braaibroodjies for the accompanying column, my mind wandered off and when I looked down I realised that I’d spread the chutney on the buttered side 🤦. So I had to start again. So, focus. Here’s how to assemble them the traditional way.
(Makes 2 broodjies)
Ingredients
4 slices of white bread, the old-fashioned variety
Butter, just enough to spread thinly (please not marge)
Mrs H.S. Ball’s chutney, about 1 Tbsp per slice
Cheddar cheese, either 4 slices or grated
1 tomato, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
Salt and black pepper
Method
Prepare hot coals.
Butter the bread on one side.
Put them buttered-side down on a clean grid, and spread chutney on the inside.
Place a few rounds of onion on top, followed by slices of fresh tomato.
Sprinkle with black pepper and salt.
Place a slice of Cheddar cheese on top to fit the bread edge to edge, or put a fairly generous amount of grated cheese on top of the onion and tomato.
Close it by placing the second slice of bread on top, buttered side up.
Close the grid and braai until golden brown and crunchy on both sides, turning once. Read my column about the braaibroodjie tradition here. DM/TGIFood
Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.
I often tie mine up with string. The sarmie keeps its shape better particularly if its a bit on the thick side.
What is hotter than the sun? Tomato on a braai broodjie.
A friend of my son put himself through Varsity in Potchefstroom with the above recipe. He however also sprinkled a bit Cartwright masala powder on top of the chutney. It turns fantastic into magic. Try it once!
What a fabulous article. Totally loved it. All true though, a braaibroodjie recipe discussion can get very heated!
Amen! Can’t go wrong.
C’mon guys! Marmite!!! Cheese, tomato, onions, Marmite (a thin layer) And please: it’s a slow roast. The cheese must melt thoroughly & the other ingredients must be piping hot, without burning the broodjie. Tricky.
As an alternative to chutney, try mayonnaise overwhelmed by garlic – superb
Nee man, this is a travesty! Chutney is for the Ingelse version and cheese only to stop the Americans whining. A properse braaibroodjie has tomato, onion and seasoning. Buttered on the outside! Done. KISS principal applies.