Mealie-meal porridge
SOMETIMES a big steaming bowl of pap is just what the doctor ordered – especially on a cold June night, served with a hearty stew – and South African chef Nina Timm gives three easy-to-follow variations for this filling side-dish in her new cookery book, Easy Cooking from Nina's Kitchen.
"If you can find someone to bring you organic mealie-meal from the Free State, it would be a bonus. Believe me, it makes a huge difference," she says of the raw ingredients for "krummelpap", "stywepap" and the breakfast dish of "slap pap".
Each recipe gives six servings.
CRUMBLY ("KRUMMEL") PORRIDGE:
450ml water
1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
500g organic mealie-meal
3-4 teaspoons farm butter to serve
coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Method: Place the water and salt in a heavy-based pot and bring to the boil.
Add the mealie-meal to the water and stir with a long fork until it forms coarse crumbs.
Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 45-50 minutes, loosening the crumbs with the fork every 10 minutes.
Take care not to burn the porridge. Serve with farm butter and black pepper.
THICK ("STYWE") PORRIDGE:
500ml water
1 teaspoon salt
250ml organic mealie-meal
1 tablespoon butter to serve
Method: Place the water and salt in a heavy-based pot and bring to the boil.
In a separate bowl, mix the mealie-meal with a little water to make a moderately runny mixture, then add this to the pot.
Mix well.
Cover and cook over the lowest heat, simmering for about 50 minutes: stirring twice during this time.
The porridge should form a lovely surprise crust over the base of the pot which is heavenly with butter, Timm says.
SMOOTH ("SLAP") PORRIDGE:
1 litre water
1 teaspoon salt
250ml organic mealie-meal
Milk and sugar to serve
2 tablespoons butter and extra to serve
Method: Pour 750 ml of the water and salt in a heavy-based pot and bring to the boil. Mix the remaining water with the mealie-meal until smooth, then add this to the pot.
Cover and cook over the lowest heat, simmering for 50 minutes, stirring twice during this time.
Remove from the heat and stir through the butter.
Serve with milk, sugar and top each serving with a dollop of butter.
- Easy Cooking from Nina's Kitchen by Nina Timm is published by Random House Struik, and retails for R210.
