‘Gebraaide Snoek’ (Fish on the fire)

We really like snoek – in fact, it’s probably the most loved fish in our house. The traditional way to eat snoek is to braai it fresh from the sea on the fire while basting it with a very unique sauce.

  • What is ‘snoek’?

Snoek is a type of fish – the fancy word is ‘Thyrsites atun’ – but it is known as snoek (or Cape snoek) in South Africa and as barracouta in Australasia. It is a long, thin species of snake mackerel. (Source: Wikipedia)

  • Where do we find this fish?

It’s found in the seas of the Southern Hemisphere and a popular food fish in South Africa, particularly along the west and south-west coast of our country. (Source: Wikipedia)

As we currently live on the south-east coast of South Africa, it is almost impossible to get hold of fresh snoek. Our only other option was to buy frozen snoek in our local supermarket.

Frozen snoek from the local supermarket

One of our friends recently asked if we could share our recipe for snoek on the fire (or as it is known in Afrikaans: ‘Gebraaide snoek’). As I mentioned above, we usually braai fresh snoek, but decide to check if frozen snoek can also be tasty (Spoiler alert: It was delicious).

Put it on the table:

All you need is snoek and the ‘five golden ingredients’ for the sauce (or at least, that’s how Berto remembers it from his childhood). However, this sauce can vary – some people like to add white wine, garlic or even chilli sauce. We like to keep it pretty simple to bring out the flavour of the snoek.

The first step is to rinse the snoek under cold running water and then dry it slightly. We usually hang it in a ‘toeklap rooster’ (loosely translated means slap-closed grid) which is a hand-held braai grid that is hinged and closes together for ease of use when turning the food inside. You will most probably find such a grid in every household in South Africa.

Snoek in a ‘toeklap rooster’

Ingredients to braai a snoek

Ingredients:

1kg Snoek

2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam

2 tablespoons garlic butter (or normal butter)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

juice of one lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

Preparing any fish is actually a very quick process – it is always cooked (or braaied) quickly and one must be careful that it is not too dry. We light the fire, make the sauce on the stove and then wait until there are coals (not too hot and not too cold) to braai the snoek.

The fire for our snoek

The sauce is very easy to make. All ingredients are thrown together in a saucepan and heated. Stir until everything is melted and mixed.

The five golden ingredients for the sauce

When the sauce begins to boil, remove from the heat and set aside until needed.

The sauce is ready

Some people braai the snoek in foil, but we put it straight on the grid (which has been pre-greased with a little oil to prevent the fish from sticking). Place the snoek first skin side down on the grid and on the hot coals.

The first turns on the fire

Now you have to keep your eye on the fish and turn it often while it is smeared with the sauce after each turn. Also make sure (after each turn) that the fish does not stick to the grid.

The snoek after the final turns

The snoek should be ready after 12 – 15 minutes. The skin side may be slightly crispy while the flesh side has acquired a golden colour. Serve the snoek skin side down, flesh side up.

Gebraaide snoek

Gebraaide snoek is traditionally served with ‘soet patat’ (translated sweet sweet potatoes). However, we oiled the sweet potatoes, wrapped in foil and then cooked them in the oven. It is then served with butter, salt and pepper.

Gebraaide snoek and sweet potato

And what is the best thing about eating snoek? To use your hands instead of cutlery! Because snoek has many bones, you can cut the bones finer than if you were to use a knife and that can get stuck in your throat very easily. No one will blink an eye if you eat this dish with your hands.

This is how you eat ‘Gebraaide snoek’

We hope you enjoyed our version of ‘Gebraaide snoek’. It may not be a dish you can make yourself in other parts of the world, but if you visit South Africa, it will definitely appear on a menu at some point … and if you like fish, you will definitely love ‘Gebraaide snoek’!