A Yellowtail Braai Menu for Hosting at Home

We had friends over for a simple yellowtail braai recently. Nothing elaborate — just a fire, a few shared dishes and bottles opened around the table. One friend brought herb sabzi polo, another baked a yoghurt cake topped with strawberries, and I made a salad of sweet potato, rocket, roasted pecans and bacon. The yellowtail had been lightly marinated before going onto the grill, and the wine was uncomplicated and exactly right: Hartenberg Doorkeeper Rosé and Chardonnay.

Menu

• Braaied yellowtail

• Sweet potato, rocket, pecan and bacon salad

• Sabzi polo (Persian herb rice)

• Yoghurt cake with strawberries and cream

• Hartenberg Doorkeeper Rosé and Chardonnay

Sweet Potato, Rocket, Pecan and Bacon Salad

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes

• 100 g rocket

• 80 g roasted pecans

• 6 slices bacon

• 80 g feta (optional)

  
  

Dressing

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• salt and black pepper

  
  

Method

1. Roast sweet potato slices at 200°C until tender and lightly caramelised.

2. Cook bacon until crisp and break into pieces.

3. Whisk together olive oil, mustard, honey and lemon juice. Season to taste.

4. Arrange rocket and sweet potato on a platter.

5. Add bacon, pecans and feta.

6. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving.

Wine pairing: Yellowtail has a firm texture and benefits from wines with freshness and bright acidity. The Hartenberg Doorkeeper Rosé and Chardonnay worked beautifully with the meal — light enough for the fish, but structured enough to stand up to the richness of the salad and rice.

Evenings like this feel fleeting this time of year. The sun sets a little earlier now and the air carries the first hints of autumn, but the fire is still warm enough and the table still spills outside. While it lasts, we keep cooking over coals, sharing dishes and opening bottles among friends.