HOW TO CREATE: THE PERFECT BRAAI AREA

SACHA VAN NIEKERK

IF THE warm, sunny weather we’ve recently been having doesn’t spur on a flurry of memories of family get-togethers with the smell of chlorine and sizzling meat wafting through the air – are you even South African?

With September being Heritage Month and the summer holidays just around the corner, there’s no better time than now to get your outdoor area in tip-top shape before braai season picks up.

From stunning tiled patios to creative seating and trendy fire pits, these are the must-haves for every braai area.

1. CREATIVE OUTDOOR SEATING When it comes to home decor, it seems people forget that their garden can be an extension of their interior. From colour themes and patterns and material, gone are the days of settling for plastic loungers and robust wooden benches that clutter your garden. Instead, go for something visually stunning, that blends in with the natural landscape of your garden or patio. From hanging seating to macrame swings hanging from trees or even sleek built-ins with cosy cushions, the options are endless.

2. OUTDOOR RUGS To mimic the comfort level of the indoors, having a large rug near your braai area will make your space look and feel more homely. Whether you love geometric patterns or are a total romantic for florals, outdoor rugs tie together the overall space, bringing different decor elements together. Made from durable materials, they are also stain and fade resistant and come in a variety of colours and prints to fit the theme of your outdoor space.

3. TILING If outdoor rugs aren’t your thing and you’d prefer something a little more durable and permanent, tiling is one of the most stunning outdoor decor trends to transform your braai area with. Not only are they super stylish and able to liven up dull spaces, they’re also functional too. Tiles are anti-slip and serve as a minimal maintenance material that can withstand all the scuffing, cinders ash that comes its way. From black and white Victorian tiles to colourful Moroccan themes in vivid shades of blue, yellow, orange and green, having a tiled braai area creates ..creates the illusion of boundary making your outdoor braai area appear more like a room inside the house.

4. FIRE PIT Having a built-in fire pit allows you the versatility that a braai stand doesn’t. Blending in seamlessly with the surrounding materials of brick or stone as well as your outdoor decor, a fire pit can be transformed into a grill for fire cooking. However, unlike braai stands, fire pits call for firewood, and preferably, some smokeless coal. Now you can go from toasting up after a day at the pool to simply huddling around the fire and keeping warm.

5. OUTDOOR LIGHTING Whether it’s studded string lights or lanterns, lighting is a vital component of creating an inviting outdoor atmosphere. Adding warmth and coziness, even as the sun begins to set, it can have a huge impact on the entire look of your garden and patio. Pay attention to where you set the lights. There are plenty of functional lighting options, you just need to find one that’s suitable for your exterior. If you’re strategic, outdoor lighting can highlight the features you already have as well as serve as a guide to visitors that leads them to your braai area as well as paths and walkways.

BRAAI ETIQUETTE

DEBASHINE THANGEVELO

AS SOUTH Africans prepare to celebrate National Braai Day, in addition to practising Covid-19 safety measures, there are a few things to be mindful of when it comes to acceptable and unacceptable behaviour at a braai.

DO’S

UNLESS you are being hosted, be courteous and ask the braaimaster/host what you can bring. When you arrive with your meat and drinks, always ask where is the best place to put them.

Ensure there is plenty of meat – quality is everything – if you are attending a bring and share.

If you are on a particular diet, take along your preferred braai option be it vegetarian, vegan or seafood, which is pricier.

Although there are generally plenty of sides and salads provided, if there is a special dish you are famed for, you should enquire if you can bring it, too. My mom’s potato salad is always a treat. It is something I take over to my friends’ places, with permission, when invited over for a braai.

No braai is complete without a drink in hand. Arriving with a bag of ice or two will definitely help. And, since the braaimaster has their hands full, ensure they are replenished with a drink of their choice all the time.

Although the host will take care of everything, offer a helping hand, especially when it comes to setting up as well as clearing the table.

DON’T’S

MOST braais start late afternoon, generally between 3pm to 4pm. It is best to eat something before attending. Arriving hungry will see you pigging out on snacks thereby ruining your actual braai meal. A braai is a social gathering. There’s generally a rugby game – or some sporting event – being watched, too. If not, there is often music blaring in the background. Don’t complain about the noise level. This is an unwinding session, after all. If you enjoy the braaimasters’ grills, don’t ask for a marinade recipe. There are some secrets best left with the owner. If you are invited with a partner, arriving with additional guests that haven’t been catered for is rude. Chances are a second invite won’t be forthcoming thereafter as you would have upset the host. The last cardinal rule is don’t ever give the braaimaster tips on how they should braai. It’s the biggest insult and will not be well received. Trust me, the awkwardness will be harder to swallow than the food. If you have a preference as to how you would like your meat cooked, simply let your braaimaster know and they will oblige.

BRAAI DAY DRINKS

THERE are few things more satisfying than a chilled drink on a hot day and it doesn’t always have to be alcoholic.

While the sun hasn’t officially come out to play yet and holidays are a few weeks away, sipping on a mocktail, your favourite soft drink or an iced tea is never a bad idea.

Besides, you won’t have to worry about those infamous morning-after-the-nightbefore headaches. Just because your drink doesn’t include alcohol, doesn’t mean you have to settle for an ordinary fizzy drink.

Here are our tips

Taste for texture

The viscosity conferred by sugar or gomme syrup, the astringent qualities of the tannins in wines that can be echoed with teas and herbal concoctions, the froth of egg-white: All can help create a sort of trompe la bouche, reminding your palate of the textures and sensations of cocktails.

Get better with bitter

This flavour acts as an appetite stimulant, so its presence may help a non-alcoholic cocktail play the role that traditional aperitifs do. Intensity may be the quality that hardest to replicate in spirit-free drinks: the mouthfeel of a beverage that contains a spirit and makes people drink a cocktail differently.

In trying to echo the heat of alcohol, it’s easy to overcompensate with an aggressive hook that skews a drink out of balance, making it too bitter, spicy or sour.

Shrubs, drinking vinegars that evolved from old preservation techniques, are all over these days. Mix vinegar with fruit and sugar and you can get something delicious; you can also get something truly vile, in which the vinegar makes your eyes water before you even sip.

Don’t overthink it

I keep returning to the qualities that make a good “regular” cocktail. It’s not just what’s in the glass, but the entire experience, a mysterious brew of flavours and aesthetics and atmosphere – that last element as relevant for the home host as it is for bars.

When you can give all of your guests drinks that are delicious, balanced and attractive, assembled with care and quality ingredients, and served with warmth, you’ve hit the hospitality sweet spot.