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MJ recently stayed at Sugar Shack in Paternoster. He had a lovely time in this beautiful fishing village.
If you need a break. Like a proper break where you just read books, walk on the beach, eat food, and repeat that cycle for a few days, then I can't recommend Paternoster enough. Just two hours from Cape Town it's the perfect place to get away and relax.
Paternoster means 'Our Father' in Portuguese and got its name when a ship was wrecked along the coast and the Portuguese sailors who survived offered up prayers of thanks. And while I'm sure the prayers were thankful for surviving the wreck, it's difficult not to entertain the thought that the thanks were offered because they'd landed along a quite lovely stretch of coastline.
We were staying in Sugar Shack Paternoster, a lovely three-bedroomed, self-catering place in the heart of Paternoster. When I saw a photo of the view from their rooftop deck I was already sold. I actually managed to spend a lovely two hours reading from hammock while the sun rose in the morning. Sugar Shack is a wonderfully simple but stylish seaside establishment with everything you'll need for comfy weekend away.
Once we'd checked in with the friendly Helen, we decided to head down to the Voortstrand Restaurant for lunch. This charming seafood restaurant is located right on the edge of the beach, and really typifies the cosy fishing town restaurant. The fresh seafood, great setting, and warm atmosphere make it a great option for those looking to eat out.
Next we decided to do some shopping and went to the town's famous Oep ve Koep store. Here you can buy a variety of jams, chutneys and spices, as well as some pretty décor options for your home. With a snoek braai happening a bit later, we decided to stock up on a few ingredients before heading back to Sugar Shack.
This was my first time making snoek, and I think it turned out very well.
The Snoek Recipe
Ingredients
Snoek
Butter
Apricot jam
Fish Masala (optional)
Onion
Garlic
White wine
Lemon
Salt and pepper
To make the basting sauce
Put a medium saucepan on a medium heat and start to melt the butter
Add the chopped onion and garlic, as well as the fish masala, salt and pepper
Then add the apricot jam and white wine and allow it to simmer for a few minutes before taking it off the heat
To prepare the fish
Wash the snoek under cold water to remove excess oils and to make sure the fish isn't bitter
Pat off as much water as possible
Prepare a braai grid with toil foil laid out, butter rubbed onto the tin foil, and place the fish skin-side-down on the grid
Rub salt on the flesh side of the fish to help the drying process
Place the grid somewhere in the shade and let the fish dry
Once it's dried, brush off the excess salt
To cook the fish
Get your coals to a medium heat
Place the braai grid foil side down over the coals and baste the fish
Continue to baste the fish for the next 10 minutes
Flip the fish over for 5 minutes to let the basted skin caramelise
Serve
Snoek is traditionally served with patats (sweet potato). We also made roosterbrood (bread made from dough cooked on the braai grid) and a side salad
To find out more about Sugar Shack and to book a weekend away in Paternoster, click here.
