Ingredients
The head
- 1sheep’s head, split, from a halal or specialist butcher
To clean
- coarse salt
- a wire brush or steel wool
- vinegar
To boil
- water, to cover
- 2onions
- 3bay leaves
- 1 tbsppeppercorns
- 2 tbspcoarse salt
- 2chillies
To finish
- coarse salt
- black pepper
- a hot fire
To serve
- pap or steamed bread
- chakalaka
- chilli sauce
- a beer
Directions
- Remove the eyes if you prefer, though they are traditionally left in and eaten. Now blanch it: cover with cold water, bring to the boil, boil 10 minutes and throw that water away.
- Rinse both the head and the pot thoroughly. Return it to the clean pot with fresh water, onions, bay, peppercorns, chilli and plenty of salt.
- Salt it generously, because a large piece of bone-in meat takes a lot of seasoning to reach the middle. Simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Keep it at a steady simmer rather than a hard boil, which breaks the head apart before it is ready. It is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the cheek is completely soft.
- Lift it out carefully, since it will be fragile. Set it over hot coals or under a fierce grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning, until the skin crisps and blisters.
- Season it heavily with coarse salt and black pepper as it comes off the fire.
- Serve it whole on a board or in paper. The eye and the ear are eaten by those who want them, and there is no ceremony about it. Serve pap or steamed bread alongside, with chakalaka and a hot chilli sauce.
Technique
- Buy the head already singed and cleaned, which almost everyone does.
- It is closely associated with the Cape Flats and with Langa and Gugulethu.
- Half a head is a substantial portion for one person.
Substitutions
- There is no substitute for the head itself.
- A blowtorch in place of an open fire for singeing, if doing it yourself.
Variations
- Boiled only, without the final grilling.
- With a spice rub before grilling.
- Sold by the half, which is the usual portion.
History
Named for the grin the lips take on when the head is cooked; a Cape Flats and township speciality sold whole or by the half.
Frequently asked questions
What is Smiley?
Smiley is a street food from South Africa: sheep’s head singed, boiled and eaten whole from a township braai stand. Named for the grin the lips take on when the head is cooked; a Cape Flats and township speciality sold whole or by the half.
How long does Smiley take to make?
Smiley takes 1 hr of preparation and 3 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 2 to 4 servings. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Smiley?
Yes, within limits. There is no substitute for the head itself. A blowtorch in place of an open fire for singeing, if doing it yourself.
What is the most important thing to get right in Smiley?
Keep it at a steady simmer rather than a hard boil, which breaks the head apart before it is ready. It is done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the cheek is completely soft.
