Fat Cow Catering
Owner and Chef
Warwick Thomas, owner of Fat Cow Catering gave the Big Green Egg a test drive recently. In fact, he chose to use the Egg when he appeared in TV show, ‘Ultimate Braai Master’. Here’s what he had to say.
How did you find setting up the Big Green Egg?
It takes a couple of strong people to put the Egg together initially because the patented insulation means it’s heavier than a traditional kettle braai. It’s a really robust piece of equipment. Getting the Egg lit and going is a breeze – you just throw in your charcoal and a few firelighters, adjust to the temperature you want and it’s done.
What did you cook?
What didn’t I cook! We started off with Quail pies and braised breast of Quail with dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend combining toasted nuts and seeds. This required high heat to seal in the flavours and retain all the moisture. Then I moved on to a whole loin of pork with caramelised apples and a rack of beef rib with a wild mushroom sauce served with broccoli and blue cheese clafoutis. On another Egg I slow smoked some Springbok with caramelised onions, using oak chips that had been soaked in green tea. Then for dessert, I did crème Brulee filled doughnuts and a strawberry meringue dish.
You cooked meringue on a braai?
It sounds crazy but the Big Green Egg allows you to cook just about anything at any temperature so we could seal our roasts at high temperatures and then turn it right down to roast slowly and yes, we baked meringue at very low temperatures too.
How many people were you cooking for?
There were about 25 people in total and their reaction to the food was an overwhelming “Wow!”
What’s the best thing about cooking on a Big Green Egg?
Well, apart from the versatility and the amazing temperature control, there’s also the fact that you can cook outdoors in any weather. On the day we cooked, the wind was howling and it rained which didn’t affect us at all. We just placed our ingredients, closed the lid and all of the heat was retained within the Big Green Egg.
How was the clean up afterwards?
That’s another great thing – the Big Green Egg is almost like a self-cleaning oven. We just removed the ash which was kept in a neat box and brushed the grid. Most of the grease burns off during cooking and the ceramic is simple to wipe clean.
Have you used the Big Green Egg at home?
Absolutely, the kids love pizzas made in the Big Green Egg and I’ve made ciabatta, baked cheesecake and meat, of course – I love it!