Braaibroodjie
Grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches
Toasted cheese, tomato, onion and apricot-jam sandwiches grilled over the coals
No South African braai is finished without braaibroodjies, the sandwiches that go onto the grid once the coals have died down, from Cape Town to the Highveld. White bread is buttered on the outside and filled with cheddar, tomato, onion and a thin smear of apricot jam, a sweet-and-savoury combination every South African swears by. They come off the fire smoky, crisp and oozing. A frying pan or griddle works when there's no braai. Chef's tip: toast them over gentle, ashen coals and turn often; fierce heat burns the bread before the cheese inside has melted.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 slices white sandwich bread
- 1 ⅜ oz soft butter
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 5 ½ oz mature cheddargrated
- 2 tomatoesthinly sliced
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Butter one side of each slice of 8 slices white sandwich bread with 1 ⅜ oz soft butter. Turn them buttered side down.
Step 2: Spread a thin layer of 2 tbsp apricot jam on 4 of the slices. Top with half the 2 ⅞ oz mature cheddar, then 2 tomatoes and 1 red onion, and season with 1 pinch salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Cover with the rest of the 2 ⅞ oz mature cheddar and the remaining slices, buttered side up. Pack them into a hinged braai grid and close it firmly.
Step 4: Grill over low, ashen coals, turning every minute, until the bread is golden and crisp and the cheese has melted. A common mistake is putting them over flames: the outside blackens while the cheese stays solid.
8 minStep 5: Cut in half and serve hot, alongside chakalaka.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does braaibroodjie take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of soft butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of mature cheddar?
- Any hard cheese, same amount.
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