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Snoek and Patatfees in Goedverwacht

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Snoek and Patatfees in Goedverwacht

Enjoy a feast of local food and culture at this quaint West Coast town’s annual seafood fiesta!

Looking for something to do with the whole clan? Escape the hubbub of the Mother City and immerse yourself in West Coast culture at the family-friendly Snoek and Patatfees in Goedverwacht, near Piketberg, which begins on Friday, 30 June 2017 and ends late on Saturday, 1 July 2017.

Started in 2001, this celebration pays homage to the entrepreneurial initiatives of the seasoned farmers of the town, a former mission station with a rich history and heritage. As the story goes, since many of the mission station’s residents were seasonal labourers, income during the winter months was scarce. Thus, the farm folk would fill up their carts with sweet potatoes, which they cultivated themselves, and make the trek to West Coast towns to trade with the fishermen for yummy snoek. And so, the long-standing tradition of the festival was born.

Though it was only in 2008, when popular Afrikaans music acts also joined the festival line-up, that the yearly celebration really took root in the hearts, minds and mouths of locals and visitors alike.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE 2017 SNOEK AND PATATFEES    

A FESTIVAL OF FOOD: With more than 70 stalls scheduled to exhibit, attendees can look forward to devouring some truly excellent fare, including famed local nosh like biltong and crayfish. And of course, the festival’s ever-popular dish of snoek and sweet potato (what else) with a coal-baked bread will be on sale.  

LIVE MUSIC AND SPORTS SCREENINGS: This year, the festival’s line-up is better than ever with the Voice SA’s Maya Spector and Monique Hellenberg, Die Papier family band, El Clay and DJ Saxie all having confirmed.

KIDS ACTIVITIES: Apart from the typical run-of-the-mill kid’s festival activities, like face painting and balloon art, there will also be a programme of things to do for little ones. Adults can relax knowing their kids are well cared for.  

TRY OUT THIS CLASSIC POTATO AND SNOEK RECIPE

Want to sample a taste of what this festival has to offer? Whip up your own tasty snoek and sweet potato dish! This old Cape Malay classic is called smoorsnoek, literally meaning ‘smothered fish’. This delicious-sounding recipe comes from South African food blogger Sam Linsell.

Ingredients: 

  • 300g of smoked snoek

  • 2 large potatoes or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (you can replace these with sweet potato if you wish)

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 1 big knob of butter

  • 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley

  • a pinch of dried chilli flakes

  • black pepper

  • freshly cut lemon to squeeze on afterwards

  • steamed rice to serve (Sam suggests Basmati)

Method:
Flake the smoked fish, making sure you remove all the bones, then set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide non-stick pan and saute the onions until they just start going soft (about 3 minutes). Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally. In order to speed up the cooking of the potatoes, you can place a large lid over the pan. If you find the mix is starting to stick to the pan, add a splash of water, stir and continue to cook. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the fish and parsley. If necessary place the lid on for a few more minutes to finish off cooking the potatoes.

Serve on steamed rice with a few good grinds of black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Alternatively, you can cook up a snoek fillet whole with some soet patat on the side over some braai coals. Try this mouth-watering recipe for barbequed snoek from Jan Braai.

You might also need to try out some coal-baked bread, otherwise known as braai bread (roosterbrood in Afrikaans). It is ridiculously tasty and you’ll likely want to take it all home with you after the festival. Be prepared for the cravings with a recipe so you can make it at home and eat roosterbrood whenever! It’s (dangerously) easy to make.

TICKETS FOR THE 2017 SNOEK AND PATATFEES

Adult tickets cost R80p/p, while children between six and twelve years of age pay R30p/p (children under the age of five have free entry). A weekend pass will cost R120p/p but can only be purchased at the entrance. All ticket queries can be directed to +27(0)60 438 8866. The festival begins at 9am.

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Roosterbrood, snoek and sweet potatoes are all just so perfect to eat in Winter, when you need something to warm you through and keep your tummy full and happy. Don’t forget that Winter is also the best season to enjoy some soul-warming drinks; we recommend a cup of delicious, hot, spiced mulled wine.

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