A Heritage Day celebration is never complete without the melt-in-your-mouth food from a traditional South African braai.
And the food wouldn’t be as tasty without Sheba sauce, the scrumptious spicy tomato relish and outstanding accompaniment to all braais, especially on National Braai Day.
No-one knows this better than chef and Sheba connoisseur Wayne Blake. “You can’t go wrong with a Sheba sauce tomato recipe,” says the 52-year-old.
“Anyone can take a tomato and do so many different things with it. If you met me in person, you’ll see I’m not the smallest okie, because I love a good braaivleis. We grew up on it, and it’s always been a favourite of mine ... and making a tomato-based sauce is one of my specialities. I use it in many of my dishes. So, you know, the Sheba sauce is always going to be close to the heart, and I love using it.”
Blake is the group food and beverage manager for ANEW Hotels & Resorts, a family-run company with 16 properties across Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the North West.
His travels and passion for growing the food culture across the hospitality group sparked Blake to embark on a curated, flavourful Sheba adventure tailored to each province where the company has an establishment.
“I’ve travelled extensively around the country and every one of those memories has given me a different sort of experience,” Blake says. “So, I thought, why don’t I take a dish or ingredient unique to each province and pair it with its Sheba variation by reverse engineering it to eventually get to the flavour that I want? So that’s what I did with the Shebas as well. Just played with many recipes to come up with a whole lot of different ideas,” he says.
For Blake, a career in the culinary world was not his first choice. “When I came out of school, I couldn’t even boil an egg,” he says.
“It was not until my conscription service, the mandatory army service [for white males during the apartheid regime, that was abolished in 1993], that I had the opportunity to work in the catering corps of the army base in Durban. I enjoyed cooking, and it was a natural thing for me. After my national service, my passion for cooking grew, and I attended the hotel college at ML Sultan Technikon.
“I’ve been very fortunate in that I have a strong restaurant background, as that’s where I learnt food engineering, menu development and customer relations. It’s what I love to do ... creating a lot of happiness with a customer by giving them a good plate of food.”
Wayne Blake’s smoked paprika Sheba with caramelised onion
Ingredients
- 2 - 4 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp (15ml) neutral oil ( sunflower or canola)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp (5ml) smoked paprika
- 1 tsp (5ml) brown sugar
- Pinch of ground cumin (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste (start with ½ tsp salt/5ml)
- Fresh thyme or parsley, to finish
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Add the onions and cook slowly for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelised.
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin (optional), salt and pepper, and stir until fragrant.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and brown sugar.
- Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich. Add herbs just before serving.
Flavourful Sheba recipes for each province
Western Cape: Smoked snoek Sheba canapé
This braai-day bite is bold, proudly local, and made to share.
Method
Add ½ tsp (2.5ml) turmeric, ½ tsp (2,5 ml) mild masala spice, and a pinch of chilli flakes after the onions have caramelised, to give your Sheba a distinct Cape Malay flair. Simmer until thick and spiced, then fold through flaked, deboned smoked snoek (about ½ cup or 125ml). Spoon the mixture onto small, toasted slices of bread or crackers and serve with a squeeze of lemon as a flavour-packed canapé.
KwaZulu-Natal: Green mango and curry leaf Sheba
Perfect when served with grilled fish or spiced chops.
Method
Add ½ cup (125ml) finely diced green mango and 6-8 fresh curry leaves just after the onions have caramelised. Allow the mango to soften slightly before adding the garlic and tomatoes. The mango brings a bright, tangy taste that balances the richness of the Sheba, while the curry leaves add an unmistakable KZN flair. Finish with a splash of white vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice to lift the flavours.
Mpumalanga: Chakalaka and carrot Sheba
Ideally served with boerie rolls, grilled wors or spooned over thick-cut chips.
Method
Add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of mild or hot chakalaka* and ¼ cup grated carrots. Stir the carrots in early with the onions to soften, then add the chakalaka just before the tomatoes. This creates a rustic, hearty, and nostalgic hybrid sauce that brings warmth and texture to your Sheba.
*Adjust chakalaka quantity to taste, adding more for extra heat and texture.
Gauteng: Red wine tomato Sheba
Serve with flame-grilled steak, juicy lamb chops or over creamy pap for a touch of Joburg elegance.
Method
Add ¼ cup (60ml) dry red wine to the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon (5ml) vinegar, and simmer gently to develop rich, layered flavours. Finish with a small knob of butter to give the Sheba a smooth, glossy finish.
North West: Grilled corn and roasted pepper Sheba
Enjoy grilled chicken, braaied mielies or pap “tert” – it’s a colourful celebration of flavour and tradition.
Method
Add ½ cup (125ml) of grilled corn kernels and ½ diced roasted red pepper during the last five minutes of simmering to add crunch and colour. Stir in ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) ground coriander seed for a warm, earthy flavour.
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