Page 18 - Cornwall 3 2021

ESTATE CULTURE

it often. It is really good. Her father an Afrikaans family but, in common roast chicken, as was traditional on a
particularly liked game meat and this with most South African families, she Sunday.
would be prepared with ground roasted says they have a dash of everything:
peanuts and peanut butter. Her mom Dutch, German, Scottish, French, Both Helena and her husband are
was a home economics teacher early in Indian, Malay and Scandinavian, even from big families of five children each
her life and this influenced her cooking a great-great grandmother from Mali. and they, in turn, have five children.
and the wide variety of dishes the As a child she loved the traditional There are always a lot of people at their
family ate, with an emphasis on beans “rys, vleis and aartappels” (rice, meat house and there is always something
and fresh seasonal vegetables such as and potatoes) with boere boontjies to celebrate with good food, like
okra, pumpkin leaves, sweet potato (stewed beans with onion and potato) her grandmother’s divine chocolate
leaves, bean leaf, sweet potatoes and after church on a Sunday. Even now, cake baked by her mom for us on the
pumpkins. Fresh and dried bream fish like Pavlov’s dog, if she hears her morning. Even though the family still
was bought at the market in Lusaka or at mother’s favourite Mozart flute and loves traditional Afrikaans food, the
supermarkets in Harare and cooked in a harp concerto, her mouth starts way they eat and what they eat has
thick sauce. Mopani worms featured on watering for a roast leg of lamb or changed over the years. Nowadays they
their menu too. Starch served typically
was sadza (pap) made either from HELENA'S FAVOURITE TRADITIONAL
maize, pearl millet or finger millet, rice or
potatoes. RECIPE: OXTAIL STEW
Tabitha has continued to cook traditional Best served with stewed dried fruit and a salad with home-made vinaigrette.
meals for her family. She prepares what Serves 6
she laughingly calls “road runner” or hard Ingredients:
chicken at least once a week and often • 1.5 kg oxtail, jointed and trimmed of excess fat
pairs this with stewed pumpkin leaves • Salt and pepper to taste
with some pumpkin flowers chopped in • 2-3 tins of tomato and onion relish
for colour. Hard chicken is from fowls or • Olive oil
range chicken that have lived longer and • 125-250 ml red wine
are thus more flavourful, but chewier • 10 ml bistro
and thus require longer cooking than • 10-15 ml brown sugar
supermarket chickens. For special events
she often prepares Guru, or tripe.
Method:
Our hostess for the day, Helena Bothma, - Pour 15 ml olive oil into an ovenproof pot (a clay or iron pot works well).
was born at a missionary hospital in - Put oxtail pieces in the pot and pour more oil over the meat (about 20ml).
Dennilton, Mpumalanga. Her family - Add salt and pepper.
moved to Pretoria when she was only - Mix the relish, bistro, sugar and wine together and pour over the meat.
a few months old and almost 50 years - Bake in the oven for 1 hour at 200°C. Reduce the heat to100°C and bake
later she is still a proud Pretorian and has overnight or for 7 hours.
lived in Cornwall Hill Estate since 2002, - Let the meat cool down and spoon off all excess oil.
having moved in just after her second - Reheat to serve.
child was born. Helena comes from
18 Cornwall View • Issue 3 2021