With National Arbour Week being held this month, Granny Mouse Country House & Spa will be getting their hands dirty by planting a number of new trees on the property, as well as decorating some of their existing, and rather prominent trees, with yellow ribbons. Not only will this mark the start of Spring, but will highlight the importance of these trees, many of which were planted on the property some 30 years ago – standing tall for all of Granny Mouse’s existence.

National Arbour Week, according to the South African Government Online, “is an opportune time to call on all South Africans to plant indigenous trees as a practical and symbolic gesture of sustainable environmental management.”

Businesses, individuals, schools and communities are encouraged to do their part and plant for National Arbour Week in order to create a greener and healthier environment and to teach others about the importance of trees in our lives.

Sean Granger, the General Manager of Granny Mouse says, “although the importance of Arbour Day seems to have been overshadowed on the calendar by many other events, we are committed to running the hotel in as green a manner as possible. This Arbour Day, we have chosen to plant trees as a Team, to signify our commitment to this movement.

The new saplings will certainly add additional charm to the already spectacular Granny Mouse Country House & Spa gardens.

“With spring around the corner, the weather is sure to get warmer and what better way to embrace this than by having a good old braai, ” says Granny Mouse Country House & Spa Executive Chef Shaun Dampies.

For him, a fish braai always goes down well with many guests and is a twist on the standard braaivleis.

Here are his tips for creating the perfect fish braai:

Firstly, the fish must be fresh, firm and scaled and should be washed after scaling to ensure all scales are removed.

Secondly, dry the fish with a paper towel or a clean hand towel and then season the fish on the meat side with only dry ingredients.

Thirdly, make sure the fire or coals are nice and hot, evenly spread out and that your grill is clean.

Next, salt the fish with a generous amount of salt (coarse salt is best ) on the skin of the fish, as this will ensure the fish does not stick to the grill and will also season the fish. It will also draw out the remaining moisture from the skin.

Place the fish on the grill, skin side down to crisp up

The, once you see the flesh side of the fish start to cook on the sides, turn the fish over and open the grill slowly. Using a basting brush, push on the skin to release the parts of the skin that might stick

Once the grill is open, baste the skin of fish, with a basting of your choice, and close the grill

Remember to always check that your heat is not to hot but also not to cold – too hot will dry out the fish!

Once the fish is basted on the skin side, turn the fish around and baste the fish on the flesh side and make sure it’s cooked all the way through.

If you love using lemon, squeeze some lemon on after the fish is cooked and served with garlic bread and side salad.

These quick cooking tips are sure to have your guests coming back for more. For more fun recipe’s and tips contact Chef Shaun Dampies on 033 234 4071.