Padstal pantry

Dried fruit and nuts are pure padkos - the taste of the long road and good company. This year, we're turning these classics into a Christmas feast.

- Johané Neilson

'SPEKVET' SPRINGBOK FILLET

A bok for braai!

If there's a hunter in the family, chances are you have a springbok fillet tucked away in the freezer, and this festive plankie-braai starter is bound to become a favourite. No springbok? Pork fillet works just as well; just cook it a touch longer than you would the venison, which should still be rare enough to almost jump off the grill. Quantities are approximate.

Ingredients

(serves 6 as side dish)

• 1 springbok fillet, about 600 g

• 6 slices streaky bacon

• 2 large spinach leaves, stems removed (optional, but looks great)

• ½ cup cream cheese

• ¼ cup each dried cranberries and toasted nuts

Here’s how

1 Slice the fillet lengthwise about three-quarters of the way through and fold open. (Don't cut all the way - you don't want the filling to spill out.) Flatten it slightly with your hands and season with salt and pepper.

2 Lay the bacon slices side by side on a board, then place the fillet on top, thick side down. Arrange a single layer of spinach on the cut side of the meat.

3 Mix the cream cheese with the cranberries and nuts and spoon the mixture in a thin line down the centre of the spinach.

4 Fold the thinner side of the fillet over the filling, then roll it so the bacon is on the outside. Tie neatly with kitchen string.

5 Braai the stuffed fillet to your preferred doneness (ideally still pink inside) and slice to serve.

Drive & Camp says If you don’t want to hide the meat under the bacon, fry the bacon until crispy, chop it up, and mix it into the cream cheese filling instead. Sear the fillet in a hot cast-iron pan with a little butter and olive oil over the coals, making sure it’s sealed all over. Let it rest well before serving.