Smoortjies

‘Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.’

ANTHONY BOURDAIN

If bredies are the heart of Cape Malay cooking, then smoortjies are its soul. When trying to explain a smoortjie to anyone in English, we use the term ‘braised’, as in braised chops, braised sausage, and so on. A smoortjie, however, also depicts that time of the month when we are running low on groceries and payday is still looming. I also know a smoortjie to be something that takes almost no time to make and is the ideal quick meal solution when unexpected guests arrive. Most smoortjies have base ingredients such as onions, tomato and garlic, with the possible addition of a green chilli. The dish itself has a lovely saucy gravy and, depending on which time of the month it is made, you could be cooking anything from Braised Steak (p. 55) or Braised Penny Polonies (p. 51) to braised tuna or even braised egg. Smoortjies are also usually served with fresh white bread, thus making them the perfect filling for sandwiches.

In Indonesia the word semur is a translation of the Dutch word smoor, which means stewing or braising, and a dish such as semur daging is a stewed beef recipe with a heavy Dutch influence. Both Indonesians and Malaysians prefer beef as their meat of choice. The Malays in particular love a peppery beef steak dish, which is the equivalent of the Cape Malay braised steak (gesmore steak), and it is seasoned exactly like the Cape Malays do, with salt, pepper and onions. That’s it – nothing else needed!

My father had a special cast-iron pot in which his meat-based smoortjies were made and when he reached down into the kitchen cupboard to take out his black cast-iron pot, with its very distinctive green lid, I would know that something wonderful would emerge from it. My father loved cooking to music and so we’d listen to oldies like Paul Anka’s Puppy love and songs by Neil Sedaka, Frankie Valli, Frank Sinatra and Engelbert Humperdinck. I’d feel completely filled with the infectious and soulful energy in our kitchen and am convinced it permeated every little part of the food that was made – like the sweet melodies of the ’60s.

Braised Sausage (Gesmore Soeseis)

Cape Town boasts some of the finest halaal butcheries around which specialise in a wide variety of sausages and cold meats such as Viennas, polonies and penny polonies. An essential requirement for this very popular dish is to ensure that a good quality sausage is used, in other words, one that consists of a higher pure meat ratio compared to that of the other sausage ingredients. Good-quality sausage will expand and plump up when cooked and must contain a fair amount of moisture inside the casing. You need a juicy sausage for this recipe. SERVES 4–6

• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, halved lengthways
• 1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped
• 1 C (250 ml) water
• 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 kg sausage
• 1⁄4 tsp (1.25 ml) freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
• Salt to taste

1. 1.Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and chilli. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the tomato. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
2. 2.Just as the onions and tomato are about to catch on the bottom of the pot, gradually add 1⁄2 C (125 ml) of the water, small amounts at a time, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. 3.Add the potatoes and gently scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. 4.Add the remaining 1⁄2 C (125 ml) water and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes over a medium heat, until the potatoes are slightly browned and the water has transformed into a fairly thick sauce.
5. 5.Place the sausage on top of the potatoes – DO NOT stir!
6. 6.The sausage will act as a blanket and will provide just enough moisture for the potatoes to continue cooking and softening.
7. 7.Increase the heat to high and allow the sausage and potatoes to cook for about 5 minutes. Then turn the heat down to medium for about 20 minutes.
8. 8.Sprinkle over the pepper and sugar and fold in carefully.
9. 9.You can add a little water if you prefer a slightly thinner sauce. Do a taste test and add salt if needed.
10. 10.Serve hot with fresh bread or fluffy White Rice (pp. 164–165).

NOTES: Steer away from plaaswors or boerewors for this recipe, because the taste of it is way too pungent and the meat ratio is disproportionate.

If the sausage is spicy, then omit the chilli and pepper.

Salt is optional or to taste, as some sausages have added salt and seasoning.

Braised Viennas (Gesmore Viennas) and Braised Penny Polonies (Gesmore Olap Worsies)

As a little girl, I remember walking down Yusuf Drive to go and purchase fresh Viennas at Schotcheskloof Butchery. The owner, Abdullah, was known to make the best Viennas around and, after placing the order, I’d wait patiently for him to emerge from the back with warm, pink and slightly spicy Viennas. It wouldn’t be long after that, that I would come home and my grandmother would transform these delectable little gems into the tastiest meal, in under 20 minutes!

Penny polonies or olap worsies are cheaper than any other cold meats because they have a very low meat content and are made from the leftovers of the lean meat cuts. Hence, the olap worsie got its name from the smallest denomination of the currency system used during the early days in South Africa. An olap, which was a Cape Malay word used at that time, was roughly the equivalent of a penny.

There is also only one butchery that Cape Malays flock to when buying penny polonies – GM Meat Market in Woodstock. The irony is that no-one ever refers to the butchery by its name but rather its owner’s nickname ‘Faroukie’, who is widely known to sell the best penny polonies in Cape Town. SERVES 4–6

• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 C (125 ml) water
• 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) tomato paste or 1 tsp (5 ml) tomato purée
• 1.5 kg Viennas/penny polonies, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1⁄4 tsp (1.25 ml) freshly ground black pepper

1. 1.Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions.
2. 2.Stir and, just as the onions are about to catch on the bottom of the pot, gradually add the water, small amounts at a time.
3. 3.Add the potatoes and salt and gently scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are browned and the water has transformed into a fairly thick sauce.
4. 4.Add the tomato paste or purée and stir.
5. 5.Place the Viennas/penny polonies on top of the potatoes – DO NOT stir! The Viennas/penny polonies will act as a blanket and will provide just enough moisture for the potatoes to continue cooking and softening.
6. 6.Allow the Viennas/penny polonies and potatoes to cook on high for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down to medium for about 10 minutes.
7. 7.Sprinkle over the pepper and fold this in carefully.
8. 8.You can add a little water if you prefer a slightly thinner sauce.
9. 9.Serve hot with fresh bread.

Braised Meat (Gesmore Vleis)

This was my grandmother’s signature dish. Ouma would make this once per week without fail, using pieces of succulent mutton with the softest potatoes you’ve ever tasted and simply served with fluffy, light parboiled rice. The dish itself has very few ingredients but, like all bredies, requires a fair amount of patience and a watchful eye. I’m not sure if this dish was cooked in other Cape Malay homes because I’ve only ever eaten it at my grandmother’s house. It is a dish created by a woman who ignited my culinary curiosity that I am privileged and proud to share. SERVES 6–8

• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vegetable, sunflower or canola oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 large ripe tomato, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
• 3 C (750 ml) water
• 1 kg mutton (on the bone), cut into pieces
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) dried chilli flakes
• 1⁄4 tsp (1.25 ml) freshly ground black pepper
• 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1. 1.Heat the oil over medium/high heat and add the onions, tomato and garlic.
2. 2.Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions and tomato are lightly browned. Season with salt.
3. 3.Stir and, just as the onions and tomato are about to catch on the bottom of the pot, add the sugar and 1⁄2 C (125 ml) of the water, small amounts at a time.
4. 4.To this add the meat and braise for 10 minutes, without adding more water, until the meat is evenly browned.
5. 5.Add another 11⁄2 C (375 ml) water and cook, covered, for 20–30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and the meat is braised and browned.
6. 6.Add the chilli flakes and pepper and give it a good stir to ensure that all the ingredients are well blended.
7. 7.Add the potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until the potatoes have browned slightly.
8. 8.Reduce the heat to medium/low, add the remaining 1 C (250 ml) water and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes.
9. 9.Serve with fluffy White Rice (pp. 164–165) and atchar.

Braised Steak (Gesmore Steak)

In our house, braised steak was synonymous with the weekend as we rarely ate it at any other time of the week. My grandmother preferred to use larger cuts of steak with some fat around the edges and it would be braised with a fair amount of onions. It was always accompanied with potato fries or chips and is perfect to use for a steak, egg and chips sandwich! SERVES 6–8

• 1 kg tenderised steak, cut into medium-sized strips or portions, or fillets of steak
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine black pepper
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Robertson’s Meat Tenderiser
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 C (250 ml) water

1. 1.Place the steak in a bowl, sprinkle the steak with salt, coarse and fine pepper, and meat tenderiser, and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
2. 2.Heat the oil over a medium/high heat and add the sliced onions.
3. 3.Braise the onions for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned.
4. 4.Add the steak and simmer for 5–10 minutes, allowing the steak to cook in its own juices.
5. 5.Once the pan juices start evaporating and the steak is slightly braised and brown, add the water.
6. 6.Reduce the heat to a medium setting and cook, covered, for a further 20 minutes, or until the steak is tender.
7. 7.Serve with green salad and Mom’s Mash (p. 154).