Smoky Boerewors & Pap Bake

Ingredients

• 600 g boerewors
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp BlixSam Smoke Craft
• ½ cup beef stock
• Black pepper, to taste

• 1½ cups maize meal
• 4 cups water
• ½ tsp salt
• 50 g butter
• ½ cup grated mature cheddar
• ¼ cup cream

• 1 cup grated cheddar
• ½ cup grated mozzarella
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2. Heat a large frying pan and brown the boerewors until nicely caramelised on the outside. It doesn’t need to be completely cooked through yet.
3. Remove the wors, allow it to cool slightly and cut into thick bite-sized pieces.
4. Add the oil to the same pan. Add BlixSam Smoke Craft and bloom for about 20–30 seconds to release the smoky flavour.
5. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelise.
6. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
7. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and beef stock. Simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes until thick and saucy.
8. Return the sliced boerewors to the pan and simmer for another 3–4 minutes. The mixture should be rich and thick rather than watery.
9. Meanwhile, bring the water and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in the maize meal.
10. Reduce the heat, cover and cook gently until the pap is soft and creamy, stirring occasionally.
11. Stir the butter, cheddar and cream into the hot pap.
12. Spread about two-thirds of the creamy pap over the bottom of the baking dish.
13. Spoon the smoky boerewors and tomato relish evenly over the pap.
14. Dollop the remaining pap over the top, leaving some of the boerewors filling visible.
15. Sprinkle generously with cheddar and mozzarella.
16. Bake for 15–20 minutes until bubbling around the edges and golden on top. For extra colour, grill for the final 2–3 minutes.
17. Finish with fresh parsley and serve piping hot.

💛 BlixSam Tip