Warthog and Impala, were just some of the unusual culinary delights on offer at the Alex-Kenton Round Table 210 Festival of Fire potjiekos competition at the Goat Shed Bush Bar & Bistro on Saturday.
The event was appropriately headlined the “Festival of Fire Slow Cook Challenge”, as some of the wild game meats on offer needed patient nurturing on beds of coals and wood.
Smoke billowed from expertly lit fires at the shed’s backyard where “potjiekos chefs” stationed at their various gazebos or under trees got stuck in to their prep in the early afternoon. The sweet smelling airomas that wafted through the shed set the platform for what would be a great day of entertainment that ended with the Boks’ victory over the All Blacks.
This scene that played itself out was not a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth because many hands were needed for the assortment of dishes that needed to be prepared for competition.
Petie Knoetze and Edward van Deventer said they were preparing half a warthog, though they had never ventured in to this territory before.
“We are also doing warthog burnt ends soaked in red wine and smeared with a sticky plum sauce.”
It was hard to get any proper explanation as to why the sudden fascination with preparing wild meat such as warthog.
Goat shed owner Matthew Westwood who was walking the venue making sure patrons were comfortable outside said: “ It’s the second year we have done this and this year thankfully we have been lucky with the weather. People enjoy the variety of different dishes cooked up by the different teams. There is a lot more game and wild meat has become a lot more popular of course,” he said.
Another “chef” JJ Theron appeared to be preparing the more conventional on his bed of coals.
“I am doing sirloin steak, there is some broccoli, sweet potato mash, some yellow peppers and a meat reduction with various herbs and spices … and buchu brandy flambe for the finale.”
The potjiekos crowd from Sibuya Game Reserve had a wild impala already done on the coals.
“Our visitors to Sibuya love the game meat; it is nice … and you need to cook it slow … it takes two to three hours time on the spit,” chef MK Dama said . “We do this often for the daytrippers to Sibuya; but some people don’t like it and others do. There are grilled mix veggies to go with it jacket potatoes, pap and chakalaka.”
EP area chairman and Kenton-Alex Round Table head Jacques van Wyk said funds raised would go to Child Welfare but the idea for the festival was to get the community out for some fellowship.
“The unique aspect of Round Table is that you have to retire from service when you turn 40 … our organisation is based in Kenton and we cover Alex, Bushman’s Boknes, Kenton. We are made up of businessmen with different skillsets, such as plumbers, chefs, financial planners and more. Our core principle is built around fellowship; we have fun and do projects. We raise funds and don’t have any trust funds, so all the funds we distribute come from us doing events.
“We do not retain any capital and it’s all going to child welfare. This event is also meant to bring the community together for some food tasting and to have an enjoyable time.”
The following teams were adjudged the winners, BUCO (1st) Kenton Asia (2nd) and House Kitchen (3rd). The Peoples Choice for the day were House Kitchen and Tier Power Solution took the “Gees” award.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, September 5, 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
