I first made this on our way back from a six-week trip to Mozambique. My crew was sick of crab curry and fish. We needed some boerekos. Imagine a loaf of bread filled with all the goodies you’d love to see in an omelette!
For the bread dough
10 ml yeast
400 g fl our
Pinch of salt
4 ml sugar
100 ml lukewarm water
60 g butter
2 eggs
For the filling
6 eggs
1 handful sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, sliced and chopped
2 pork sausages, cooked and sliced
10 rashers of bacon, grilled on the coals
1 medium onion, sliced and fried
1 punnet baby tomatoes
Handful grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
You’ll need:
Flat-bottomed No 3 potjie pot, well oiled
First, make a bread dough
Put the yeast in a bowl, add the sugar and lukewarm water (hot water will kill the yeast). Sprinkle some fl our over the top (this prevents the yeast from getting a crust) and leave in a warm spot for about 10 minutes or until the yeast begins to froth. Add the eggs to the mixture and give a rough
twirl. Next, make a well in the centre of the flour, add the salt and the yeast-and-egg mixture and knead until you have a smooth, pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a cool spot for a few minutes.
Working quickly, fry all the filling ingredients separately (except the eggs, baby tomatoes and cheese). When they’ve all cooled down, crack the eggs into a bowl and beat, then add all the cooked fi lling ingredients, along with the cheese and tomatoes.
Now roll the dough into a big circle and place it in your well-oiled potjie pot so the edges hang over the side. Pour in your filling (to about three to four centimetres deep), then fold over the dough and pinch the top closed. Put the lid on and bake on a fire with a couple of coals under the pot, as well as on the lid, replacing as they cool. Check after one hour – the bread should be crisp and brown. Stab the breakfast bomb with a skewer – if it comes out moist, the egg hasn’t set yet and needs to cook for a little longer. If it comes out dry, it’s ready to eat. Serve by breaking off chunks and smearing with chutney.
For more recipes and outdoor cooking ideas, read Justin Bonello’s Cooked in Africa: A cooking journey through Southern Africa.
