Hands up, who loves Christmas? Hands up, who hates waiting a whole six months to put up the tree, bust/bring out some gifts and indulge in a delicious family feast?
Good thing then that we have Christmas in July, a fun little tradition of celebrating the silliness of the season smack bang in the middle of the year, when all those hot meals (and festive egg favourites) actually make sense to us here in the Southern Hemisphere.
The origins of Christmas in July are disputed. But whatever its roots, the idea of a midyear festive holiday has taken hold in many countries, where it is now celebrated on 12 or 25 July.
Here in SA, we’re in the throes of winter – the ideal time to enjoy all those Christmas staples that wouldn’t normally find a place on our December holiday table. Because let’s be honest, we have inherited many global customs that are now woven into the tapestry of our Rainbow Nation but that aren’t always appropriate for our climate.
That includes festive dishes like roast turkey, beef or gammon; stuffing; beef Wellington; Yorkshire puddings; roast potatoes; rice and gravy; and Brussel sprouts, broccoli and carrots. Finished off with Christmas pud and brandy butter or custard for dessert, and a little eggnog on the side.
In many of these dishes, eggs are the star of the show. Yorkshire puddings, hot custard and eggnog are nothing without egg. That deliciously brown Wellington crust? Needs an eggwash. And the secret ingredient in the best stuffing ever…egg!
Eggs are affordable and make for the perfect Christmas Day treats for any time of the day (or year!) and for any meal. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper, dessert and even some warm drinks are all perfectly at home with eggs.
We’ve taken the best of British and the best of Mzansi and combined them into a truly colourful dish for our Christmas in July menu. The recipe below is for potato and cabbage hash cakes with fried egg which, much like the customary Boxing Day bubble and squeak dishes, can be made with leftover vegetables.
If you’re home for the holidays, surprise the kids with a Christmas in July spread. Don’t forget to add all the trimmings (and affordable eggs!).
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POTATO & CABBAGE HASH CAKES WITH FRIED EGG
Any leftover vegetables and potato can be used to make this dish, roast veggies and smashed sweet potato make a delicious combo! Diced ham, or cooked bacon can also be added. This recipe makes a quick and economical dinner that is both satisfying and tasty.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cooked medium potatoes or boiled baby potatoes (about 325g)
- 325g cooked cabbage (or any leftover veggies)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 15-30ml (1 -2 tbsp) curry powder
- Olive oil, for frying
- 2-4 fresh eggs
To serve
- Cucumber Riata (optional – plain yoghurt with chopped cucumber)
- Chilli oil (optional)
- Atchar
- Fresh coriander
Method
- Place the cooked potatoes on a chopping board and roughly cut them up. Add the other cooked vegetables and roughly chop up. Place them all into a bowl, add the eggs and curry and mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 and roughly shape into 4 patty shaped cakes.
- Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan and fry the cakes for about 8-10 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Fry the eggs in the pan according to your liking. Serve fried eggs on top of the hash cakes, with a dollop of raita and drizzled with chilli oil and atchar. Garnish with coriander.
