5-Course Menu with South African favourites, Wine Pairing, and a whole lot of lekker!

South Africans know a thing or two about good food. Whether it's a Sunday lunch, a family gathering or a braai that starts at noon and somehow carries on until midnight, food is rarely just about eating. It's about getting everyone together, having a laugh, and making sure nobody goes home hungry.

For this edition, we're serving up a five-course South African-inspired menu, complete with wine pairings, familiar favourites and a few lekker surprises along the way. Expect proper comfort food, a couple of classics you might never have tried before, and some very good reasons to save room for a dessert or two with this menu 😏

The Menu

Five courses inspired by South African favourites, from savoury classics to something sweet.

Course 1 — Biltong & Blue Cheese Soup

Rich, creamy and packed with flavour. A South African favourite with a good kick of blue cheese.

Course 2 — Pap 'n Sous with Boerewors

It doesn't get much more South African than this. Traditional maize pap with homemade chakalaka topped with delicious slices of boerewors.

Course 3 — Chicken & Mushroom Pies

Golden, flaky pastry filled with creamy chicken and mushrooms. A proper homemade pie, served with three classic sides: South African-style potato salad, creamy coleslaw and a fresh green salad.

Course 4 — Malva Pudding with Vanilla Custard

Warm, sticky sponge pudding served with traditional vanilla custard. If you've never had malva pudding, you're in for a treat.

Course 5 — Amarula Dom Pedro

A proper South African after-dinner treat. Vanilla ice cream, cream and Amarula blended into something halfway between a cocktail and dessert.

Understanding the Menu

Not familiar with South African food? No worries. Here's a little introduction to some of the classics we're serving up.

Biltong

South Africa's answer to cured meat, but don't call it jerky! Biltong is made by curing and air-drying meat, traditionally beef or game, with vinegar, salt and spices such as coriander and black pepper. It's a beloved South African snack, eaten just about anywhere and at any time.

Pap

A staple in South African cooking, pap is made from maize meal cooked with water until it reaches anything from a soft, porridge-like consistency to a firm, almost polenta-like texture. For our menu, we're baking it until golden and serving it with homemade chakalaka and boerewors.

Chakalaka

A spicy South African vegetable relish, usually made with onions, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, beans and a good helping of spices. Recipes vary from household to household, and everyone seems to have their own way of making it. Ours is homemade and served over baked pap.

Boerewors

Literally meaning farmer's sausage in Afrikaans, boerewors is a traditional South African sausage, usually made with beef and other meats and seasoned with spices, particularly coriander. Traditionally cooked over the coals at a braai (South Africa's version of a barbecue), it's one of the country's most recognisable foods.

South-African Style Potato Salad

A South African braai or Sunday lunch wouldn't quite be the same without a bowl of potato salad. There are plenty of variations, including versions with boiled eggs, chives and creamy mayonnaise-based dressings. Since we'd rather not have our tables erupting into disagreements over whose family recipe is the proper one, we're ditching the boiled eggs for this one!

Coleslaw

A familiar salad with a South African twist. Shredded cabbage and carrots tossed in a creamy dressing, often with raisins for a little sweetness. A regular feature at family gatherings and braais, particularly alongside grilled meats.

Malva Pudding

One of South Africa's best-loved desserts. Malva pudding is a soft, spongy baked pudding traditionally made with apricot jam and soaked in a warm, buttery cream sauce. The result is wonderfully moist, sticky and sweet. Best served warm with vanilla custard.

Dom Pedro

A South African after-dinner favourite that's somewhere between a milkshake, a cocktail and dessert. Traditionally made by blending vanilla ice cream with cream and a splash of liqueur or whisky. Rich, cold and rather easy to drink.

Amarula

A South African cream liqueur made using the fruit of the marula tree, which grows across parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Creamy, with caramel and vanilla notes, it's often enjoyed over ice or added to desserts and cocktails. For our final course, we're using Amarula to make a proper South African Dom Pedro.

What's Included?

We've got the food, drinks and good times covered. All you need to do is show up hungry!

• Five-course South African-inspired menu, from biltong soup to a proper Amarula Dom Pedro.

• Welcome bubbles to get the evening started.

• Wine pairings selected to complement the courses

• (Non-alcoholic alternatives available on request).

• A relaxed evening of delicious food and gezelligheid, the Stef's Table way.