Afrika Caesar Slaai (African Caesar Salad)
Afrika Caesar Slaai
Biltong — the taste that keeps you coming back home. The first bite is always the same: a salt-bright kiss, a dusting of cracked coriander, a slow, satisfying chew. It carries the dry sun and wind of the veld in its texture and a warm, smoky whisper in its aftertaste. Simple, honest preservation turned into an art that rewards patience with deep, layered flavour.
I remember the brown paper parcel, tied with string, that tangy vinegar and spice scent when the packet was opened. In my childhood, biltong was everywhere — on the kitchen bench between homework and tea, passed around on long car rides, secreted into pockets at rugby matches. Generations learned to make do by curing and hanging meat, and that ingenuity became a flavour heritage. Even now, when I open a packet, time warps a little: I am back at the kitchen table, sun on the windowsill, voices easy and familiar.
Ingredients
- Leaf lettuce and spinach
- Fried bacon lardons
- Anchovy fillets
- Croutons
- 1 hard or soft boiled egg per person, to top
- Parmesan, grated
- Biltong
- *Quick dressing:**
- 4 tsp oil
- 1 egg
- 25 g grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp vinegar
Method
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together until combined.
- Toss the lettuce and spinach with the bacon, anchovies, croutons, biltong and dressing.
- Divide into bowls and top each with egg and extra parmesan.
- Scatter a few extra biltong pieces over the top to finish.