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Pap tert
Layered pap and tomato bake
Paptert: layered stiff pap, tomato-onion sauce and cheese, baked for the braai
When a braai is planned for a crowd in Pretoria or the Free State, someone is always asked to bring the paptert, because it can be built in the morning and baked while the fire burns down to coals. Firm maize porridge is spread in a dish, covered with a sweet-sharp sauce of onion, tomato and green pepper, then topped with more pap and a thick blanket of grated cheese that bubbles into a golden crust. It slices into soft, savoury squares that hold their layers, with a creamy maize base and a jammy, tangy middle, ideal beside grilled vegetables, mielies and a green salad. Many mature cheddars are made with animal rennet, so check the label and choose a vegetarian cheddar. Watery pap is the mistake to avoid, as it never sets and the whole thing slumps. Chef's tip: let the tert stand for ten minutes out of the oven before you cut it, and the slices come out clean.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pap
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz white maize mealfine, not polenta-style coarse
- 1 oz butterplus a little for the dish
For the tomato and onion sauce
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 1 green pepperdiced
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 14 oz chopped tomatoesone tin
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the topping
- 7 oz mature cheddargrated; choose one labelled vegetarian (many are made with animal rennet)
- 7 oz creamed sweetcorn (optional)half a tin, spread over the sauce if you like
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt to the boil in a heavy saucepan over a high heat.
Step 2: Pour in 10 ½ oz white maize meal in a thin stream, whisking hard so no lumps form. Switch to a wooden spoon once it thickens.
Step 3: Turn the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring firmly every 5 minutes and scraping the base, until the pap is stiff, pulls away from the sides of the pot and no longer tastes raw.
20 minStep 4: Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 2 onions and 1 green pepper until soft and lightly golden.
8 minStep 5: Add 2 cloves garlic for 1 minute, then 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Simmer, stirring, until thick enough that a spoon drawn through leaves a clear path.
8 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter a 20 x 30 cm ovenproof dish. Stir 1 oz butter into the hot pap.
Step 7: Press half the pap into the dish in an even layer with a wet spatula. Spread the tomato sauce over it, then 7 oz creamed sweetcorn if using, and scatter over 2 ⅓ oz mature cheddar.
Step 8: Spoon the rest of the pap over in dollops and spread it gently to cover. Top with the rest of 4 ½ oz mature cheddar.
Step 9: Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden and the edges are sizzling. At this point you can also cover it with foil and keep it warm at the side of the braai.
25 minStep 10: Rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pap tert take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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