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  1. #1
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    Default The secrets of pap en sous

    So as I was braaiing today and my pap en sous was on the stove, I pondered the secrets of the humble pap en sous side dish.

    Unfortunately, sometimes it has to be made on the stove. But we all know its real place is on the fire (preferably in the bush). To appease the gods of burnt cooking a sacrifice is needed. A pinch of salt for the pap on the fire makes a nice crackle sacrifice. For the sous a pinch of sugar with its psycadelic flame does the trick.

    My friends like stywe pap, but I'm more of a krummelpap man myself. In my experience there isn't much one can do with pap (we are not talking paptert, pappedelle or something else, just plain pap). All you need to do is make it normally and it works fine. Adding some whole mielie kernels is nice, but I've never tried anything else.

    Pap en sous needs time. About 3 hours does the trick. The pap then forms a lekker crust in the black pot for the next morning's breakfast with butter and jam. And the sous can cook down to a nice consistency, with the onions nearly melting away.

    Secrets of the sous, one onion per person. One and a half tomatoes per person. Salt, pepper (to taste) worcestershire sauce, herbs (sommer Italian mixed herbs), and garlic. A lot of garlic. Today's sous sommer had 4 garlic cloves in with just 2 tomatoes (pregnant wifey can't eat the sous because it gives her heartburn). With enough time that garlic cooks down to the consistency of bone marrow, hmmm bone marrow (Homer Simpson voice).

    To really give the sous a proper tomato flavour, a bit of tomato paste works wonders (a sachet or a small pot, depending on the size of the sous).

    And then the real secret, sugar. Sugar breaks the acidity of the tomatoes. I like my sous a bit sweet, so I use sugar liberally.

    I have heard of people adding apricot jam, but haven't tried this.

    What do you guys do? What are your thoughts on pap en sous? Share your stories

  2. #2
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    Default Re: The secrets of pap en sous

    Hi have to strongly disagree with you sauce making habits!

    Onions, tomatos, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar!...that's all you need!

    The more herbs and garlic you ad its not a smoor anymore but an Italian style tomato sauce.

    And last time I checked this is Africa

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    Default

    I'm so following this. I miss pap.

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    Default Re: The secrets of pap en sous

    What brand of pap is best?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kreefstert View Post
    Hi have to strongly disagree with you sauce making habits!Onions, tomatos, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar!...that's all you need!The more herbs and garlic you ad its not a smoor anymore but an Italian style tomato sauce.And last time I checked this is Africa
    Kreefie, you've spent too much time eating fish! Your tastebuds think bland is lekker! Better head up north so I can reintroduce them to flavour :)

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    Quote Originally Posted by d7e7r7 View Post
    What brand of pap is best?
    I buy super sun or impala.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: The secrets of pap en sous

    Pap en sous is a thing of beauty and must be treated with respect.

    Sous
    Would agree with Kreefstert here; Tomato, Onions, Garlic, Salt and Pepper with a pinch of brown sugar (ONLY if required). There is precious little that does not get garlic in my household so garlic would be necessary and does not make it Italian. My wife occasionally puts in some Ina Paarmans powdered beef stock which is also nice. On the garlic thing, I know lot's of "ou mense" that do not eat garlic, it would appear to have never been part of the early boer diet and there seems not to have any real following with "die ou mense". I put it in anyway on the basis that garlic is medicinal and therefore I am doing the right thing by them.

    I am not a lover of Tomato Puree so that tends to stay far from my food. unless in Bolognaise sauce which should be a little tart.

    I aslo agree with Roelof's quantities. Hey Roelof, as Kreefie says, if you added mince to your tomato sauce you would have Bolognaise Sauce for pasta

    .

    Pap

    Braaipap is the one, got pretty colours on the packet. It is a slightly coarser grind and is great.

    Krummel pap is too much work to eat. Stywe pap too stodgy. I like something with the consistency halway between breakfast pap and stywe pap. My boet taught me how.

    Get your salted water to the boil. And using a firm whisk slowly stir in the pap, allowing a good couple of minutes between each addition for the dry pap to draw in the boiling water. Doing it this way takes the guess work out of what the final consitency will be like. Take your time as this is when perfection is achieved. When the pap gets to just ever so slightly "slapper" than you want (it will thicken up slightly as water steams off) then place the lid on, turn the heat well down, and leave for at least 1h30m. Pap must bind and will only do so when the structure breaks down a little, this only happens when you cook it well.

    If you really want to lift your pap stir in a large knob of butter into the boiling water.
    One too many wasted sunsets and one too many for the road .........

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    Default Re: The secrets of pap en sous

    I cannot agree with anything, because you made a fundamental mistake. Proper pap with proper sous is a main course, not a side dish like some salad or corner cafe bun that was squashed flat under the weight of the Bloubul Steak you are planning on popping on the fire.

    Also, due to the fact that pap takes time, it is only possible to make on the fire if you are in the correct setting. A Friday afternoon braai does not allow the time for the fire to be lighted early enough to allow you to monitor the heat, keep the pap perfectly heated to just allow it to steam in the inside. In a case such as that the pap is made on the stove. Not gas. Gas burns pap in the bad way.

    The best pap is made from the meel my GF's grandfather grinds himself. He grows, harvests and grinds everything himself, by hand, grinding still done between two stones. The pap, thanks to the fact that the mielies isn't white (nothing racist here) has a strong yellow hint, is very sticky, slightly sweet and not ground fine at all. It is unbelievably amazing, no store-bought knockoff crap can come close.

    The sous is, as Kreefstert said, supposed to be simple. However, the Italian stuff is fine if you intend on drinking Miller or Muscadel with your meal. If you're not going to drink real beer or the right wine, there's no need for the right sous. Sous should NEVER be made from cans. Cans are emergency food or entry tickets to charity events. Therefore, never use cans, unless you don't have time. Then you can drink Miller or funny wines as well. Sous should be made from fresh tomatoes, never cut too small (you need pieces), onions, salt, freshly ground black pepper and a hint of leeutjiestroop (the syrup in the can with the lion on).

    Pap is what goes on first and comes off last. Cooking should, as Sir Andrew said, be measured in hours, not by the amount of water you still have left. If time permits, add more water (always boiling). Don't overdo the salt. Krummelpap is for breakfast. Stywepap is for breakfast with sugar, butter and milk and then you break up the pap in pieces with a spoon before you heat it up again to allow the chunks to soak up the milk, butter and sugar mixture. Yum. Slappap is a tad useless. You never know if it's pap or soup, and you have to eat accordingly - uncomfortably. It should be between slap and styf, you must be able to press the sousspoon in the pap to make a little dam to dump the sous in without bending your mom's favourite titanium spoon, and it must not be so pap that it breaks a dam and get your braaibroodjie full of sous. Braaibroodjies are awesome. Sous is awesome. Together they just don't work.

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    Default Re: The secrets of pap en sous

    I'm lazy so a tin of tomato / onion mix and some sugar in a pot and i'm gtg with some mixed herb's for good measure.

    Krimmel pap with some milk and sugar is also a winner for breakfast the next day.

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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Toxxyc View Post
    I cannot agree with anything, because you made a fundamental mistake. Proper pap with proper sous is a main course, not a side dish...
    Hand over your man card please. Meat and only meat is a main dish. All else is a side dish. Also, referring to leeutjiestroop, hand over your boy card...

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