Potjeiko
Potjiekos
In South Africa, potjiekos, which translates to "small pot food", is a stew prepared outside on an open fire. It is traditionally cooked in a round, cast iron pot, the potjie, descended from the Dutch oven brought from the Netherlands to South Africa in the 17th century and found in the homes and villages of people throughout southern Africa.
Traditionally, the recipe includes meat, vegetables like carrots, cabbage, cauliflower or pumpkin, and starches like rice or potatoes, all slow-cooked.
I’ve recreated this dish using diced lamb, along with some of my favourite root veg and pulses. Although this was not cooked outdoors, I did use a cast iron pot to cook it. Trying to keep it as authentic as possible haha!
The recipe itself is very simple to follow, and the flavours you are left with at the end is absolutely amazing! If you do give this a try make sure you leave a comment below, feel free to share your creations with me over on my Instagram.
Ingredients
1kg Diced lamb
5-6 Irish potatoes
6 medium sized carrots
2 Stalks of celery
1 Leek
1 Onion
200g French green beans
400g Red kidney beans
3 Cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1-2 Bay leaves
2tsp Rock salt
2tsp Black pepper
1tsp White pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
Place the pot on the stove and heat the oil.
Add the onions, leek, celery and crushed garlic. Sweat down until they become soft and translucent.
Then add the diced lamb followed by all the seasonings (salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves) and brown the meat.
Once the meat is brown and you notice a thick stock has started forming, add the chopped potatoes, add the carrots and 1 cup of boiling water.
Place the lid on the pot and cook down for 45-50 minutes.
Do a taste test to make sure the seasoning is sufficient. At this point only shake the pot gently (do not stir)
Lastly add the red kidney beans, green beans and cook down for another 5 minutes.
Serve!