A Braai Broodjie is a very South African thing. But hot on its heels, for those lazy evenings where you can just not be bothered to peel an onion, thinly slice a tomato and grate some cheese, is the garlic bread! Sold in a variety of forms – from pre-baked ciabatta to baguettes wrapped in tinfoil – you will find some sort of garlic bread everywhere in this country – from deli’s to 24-hour shops.

We were very excited to see this delicious recipe for a home-baked Garlic Bread on Food24.com! Of course not for the evenings when you are too lazy to slice the tomato, but perhaps for a Saturday afternoon when you feel domestic!

This Ukrainian Garlic Bread might just be what you need to impress those foodie friends!

But as excited as we were about the garlicky goodness of a freshly-baked garlic bread, when we thought about the wine (as we always do!), we were bowled out. We often read and write about tricky wine pairings when it comes to acidic tomato-based dishes and strong and spicy sauces, but garlic?

Luckily food and wine matching expert, Fiona Beckett shares her thoughts on the matter in a way that covers everything from garlic in its most natural form, to slow-cooked in a stew.

“The key issue is how long it’s cooked – if at all. Add a clove of garlic to a slow-cooked braise or stew and you’ll hardly notice it. Use it uncooked in a salad dressing or a garlicky mayonnaise (aioli) and you certainly well.”

Although raw garlic is better known for its health benefits than its culinary charms, try using it in its raw format in salsa, pesto or salad (read more). “What you need with raw garlic is acidity. Just as lemon and garlic are natural bedfellows so are citrussy white wines likeSauvignon Blanc…”, is Fiona’s advice.