PAPRIKA PORK RASHERS2

Smoked paprika is one of those have-to-have cupboard essentials. I love it for its ability to lend an earthy richness to tomato-based vegetarian dishes – a taste so good it will even have meat lovers begging for more. And I seriously adore it for its ability to transform both meat and seafood from just so-so to “hey, what is this”? From paella to creamy tomato soup, toasted cheese sarmies to chicken burgers, there’s very little you can cook up that won’t benefit from a pinch of smoked paprika.

I say ‘pinch’ deliberately, because as much as I revere smoked paprika, it is a dominant flavour, so judicious is the way to go when you cook with it. But not too judicious! A liberal sprinkling of the stuff is what makes this smokey marinade/ baste really shine. I used it on pork rashers that I did on the braai (BBQ), but it’s great with chicken or beef too.