What is Potjiekos and 3 top Recipes

Potjiekos is a traditional weekend food in South Africa. Enjoyed by millions of people in SA, potjiekos has many recipes and we even have competitions to see who can be crowned as a champion. Potjiekos will always have a low burning fire and a cast iron pot that can simmer up to 6 hours. Let’s look at What is Potjiekos and 3 Top recipes

Why Potjiekos?

Not only is it fun to make potjiekos but it can feed large families and it does not have to be a pricey experience. South Africans enjoy potjie with beer and even cook some potjie with beer to add more flavour. The main ingredients are mostly chicken or meat, but can be made with seafood.

Potjiekos is usually served with rice and a freshly baked oven or bread made on the fire.

The pot is heated using small amounts of wood or charcoal or, if fuel is scarce, twisted grass or even dried animal dung. In South Africa, a potjie (pronounced /poiki:/), directly translated “small pot” from Afrikaans, is a traditional round, cast iron, three-legged (tripod) pot.

Let’s look at some top potjiekos recipes.

Oxtail is among one of the favorite potjiekos traditions.

Ingredients(16)

30 ml	butter
30 ml	canola oil
1.5 kg	oxtail
	flour — seasoned
1	onion — sliced
3	garlic — cloves, sliced
1	carrots — large, diced
1	celery stalks — large
2	fresh rosemary — sprigs
12	pickling onions — peeled
250 g	carrots — baby, peeled
12	baby potatoes
250 ml	stock — beef
30 ml	tomato paste
500 ml	wine — red
	salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Coat the oxtail pieces liberally in seasoned flour.

Heat the butter and oil in the potjie.

Brown the meat and set aside.

Add the prepared onion, garlic, carrot, celery and
rosemary and fry until softened.
Add the remaining veggies and heat through.
Add the meat, followed by the hot stock, tomato paste and wine.
Cover and
simmer gently over moderate heat for 4 hours.
Add more wine if the liquid
evaporates too rapidly.
Season to taste and serve with rice, mash or homemade
bread!

Chicken Potjie

Ingredients

• 45 ml cooking oil
• 1 kg chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp Robertsons Chicken Spice
• 4 Robertsons bay leaves
• 1 tsp Robertsons thyme
• 4 Robertsons black peppercorns
• 45 ml chutney
• 500 g carrots
• 6 potatoes peeled and sliced
• 200 g button mushrooms
• 500 ml water
• 1 Knorr Chicken Stock Pot
• 2 tbsp corn flour mixe to a smooth paste with water

Beef Potjie

(Also known ad Traditional Potjie – Some may add lamb with the beef)

Recipe Ingredients

• 250g Butchers Choice Streaky Bacon
• Oil for frying
• 2kg Beef, cut into cubes
• 3 Freshline Onions, sliced
• 4 Freshline Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 250ml Stock
• 250ml Red Wine
• 100ml Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 50ml Herbs, freshly chopped
• 60ml Apricot Jam

Recipe Method

1. Heat oil over hot coals in a number 3 potjie pot and fry the bacon until crispy.  Remove and set aside.  Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time.
2. Return the bacon and all the browned meat to the pot.
3. Add the onions, garlic, stock, wine, vinegar, seasoning, bay leaves and herbs.
4. Simmer for about 2 hours until nearly cooked and then add jam, apricots and baby potatoes.  Simmer for another 30–40 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

Hints & Tips

: Always warm the wine and stock before adding to the meat.  This ensures that the meat stays tender.  Pouring cold liquid onto the meat can cause the meat to contract and become tough.

Beef Potjie

Join us on Facebook
Read more on News Factory Magazine