Cloves
Cloves are the dried unopened flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum. Whole buds infuse liquids and can be removed; ground clove disperses its intense aroma through food.
Skilpadjies
lamb liver parcels · liver in netvet
South African braai parcels of seasoned lamb liver wrapped in caul fat (netvet), which crisps and renders as the filling cooks.
Cooking notes
Skilpadjies are named for their tortoise-like shape. The thin caul membrane wraps the seasoned liver filling and renders during cooking.
Use a thermometer to check the centre: the source's visual cue of crisp golden caul does not by itself establish that the liver filling is safely cooked.
Sources for this section
Ingredients
Yield 8 to 10 servings · Scaling: source batch only
Lamb caul fat (netvet)Rinse in hot water; if firm, soak until soft. Cut thin portions into approximately 10 cm squares.
1 caul
Lamb liverClean and finely dice or mince.
1000 g
Lamb kidney fatFinely dice or mince with the liver.
100 g
BreadCrumble and soak in milk until soft.
1 slice
MilkUse to soften the bread.
80 mL
NutmegGrated.
1 mL
ClovesA pinch.
Amount not stated
The source gives a pinch, not a measured weight.OnionFinely chop.
1 small
ThymeChop fresh thyme.
2.5 mL
Brown vinegar
30 mL
30 mL
Salt (optional)Season to taste.
Amount not stated
Black pepper (optional)Season to taste.
Amount not stated
Method
Risks and precautions · Elevated risk
Raw lamb liver and minced/diced offal
The filling contains offal distributed through parcels and must be cooked thoroughly.
Hazard sourceCook the centre thoroughly and check with a clean food thermometer.
Control sourceDo not serve the liver filling rare or pink. Keep raw offal separate from ready-to-eat food and clean utensils and surfaces after contact.
The braai/oven times are estimates from the source, not validated critical limits.
- Rinse the caul in hot water. If it feels firm, soak it in water until pliable.
- Finely dice or mince the cleaned liver and kidney fat.
- Crumble the bread and soak it in the milk until soft.
- Mix the softened bread with the liver, kidney fat, nutmeg, cloves, onion, thyme, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
- Spread the caul on a clean board, trim away the thickest fatty parts, and cut the thinner membrane into roughly 10 cm squares.
- Put a heaped spoonful of filling on each square and wrap it into a parcel. Secure with toothpicks or food-safe twine.
- Cook over moderate coals for about 15 minutes, turning as needed, or bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes. These are source estimates; check the centre with a clean thermometer and cook liver/offal thoroughly to steaming hot throughout. If using a numeric time-temperature check, the cited UK Food Standards Agency guideline is 70°C for 2 minutes or equivalent.
- Rest briefly and serve hot. The source recommends an acidic accompaniment such as grilled lemon.
Conditions
Yield8 to 10 servings
Temperature180°C
Places
South Africa
Documented preparation · Country evidenceThe cited recipe documents this preparation in South Africa; it does not establish a more specific regional origin.
Related
Made from
Milk
Milk is the fluid produced by dairy animals. Its species, fat level, heat treatment and handling shape the way it can be drunk, cultured or turned into curd.
Onion
The onion is the bulb of Allium cepa, built from swollen leaf bases, and is eaten raw, cooked, pickled and as a seasoning in ferments. It is known only from cultivation and probably began in Central Asia.
Thyme
A culinary thyme with source-specific garden guidance and a regional Italian record of seasoning and tisane use.
Worcestershire sauce
A thin, dark, sharply savoury table sauce associated with Worcester, England. This recipe preserves one historical formula printed in 1932 and distinguishes it from modern proprietary Worcestershire sauces.
Equipment
Braai
A braai is a South African open-fire cooking practice. This record focuses on the movable cooking grid over coals shown in a documented photograph; sources do not establish one standard grill design or size.
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Sources
Food For MzansiMethod · History
Skilpadjies: A fireside favouriteErrieda du Toit's recipe from Share; ingredient amounts and method including caul washing, liver/fat preparation, milk-softened bread, caul squares and source cooking estimates.
Cited in: Cooking notes
Food Standards AgencySafety
Cooking your foodThe agency says kidney, liver and other offal should be cooked thoroughly until steaming hot all the way through; its general centre temperature-time combinations include 70°C for 2 minutes and 75°C for 30 seconds.
Cited in: Cooking notes