That South African icon, the jaffle pan, has a shorter history than you may think. It was invented in 1949 and was a coveted household item in the early 1950s. The original Jaffle brand – jaffle iron – was designed and patented by Dr Earnest Smithers of Bondi. So it’s actually all-Australian and not so much South African!
Really useful for everyday cooking as well as parties, the Jaffle pan is very simple to use and produces a most appetising toast “pie.”
On a recent trip to the country side, we stayed at a eco-friendly cottage in the Overberg. After a good night’s rest, I spotted a jaffle pan hanging on the kitchen wall and it was just a matter of minutes before breakfast was served….with a glass of Backsberg Pinotage Rosé on the side.
With the cottage being completely off the grid, my modern take on jaffles is in line with the winery’s “green” philosophy, that reads: “Care for the environment implies care and concern for succeeding generations.”
I love the fact that Backsberg continues to find better and more efficient ways to use their resources so that the land they use now will be healthy for generations to come. The method I used in the recipe below reflects some of these practices.
Ingredients
For the Jaffels
serves 1
2 slices of bread
2 slices of camambert
red onion and cranberry relish
For the relish
1 red onion
handful of dried cranberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of vinegar
Caramelise the chopped red onion and sugar in a pan with the vinegar.
Assembling the Jaffles
- Start with the standard two slices of bread.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
- Place a slice (buttered side down) into the jaffle pan.
- Add 2 slices of Camembert cheese to the middle.
- Add red onion relish and top with another slice of cheese.
- Close the jaffle iron around the sandwich, cut off the excess, because it will burn.
- Heat over a small flame or coals.
- Once hot, it will toasts the bread evenly.
- Wash the jaffles down with Backsberg Pinotage Rosé .
