Making a potjie

[Bronwyn&Co]

Ok so 7+ years ago I brought 2 potjie pots in the container but have never used them. I love a good potjie (is there a bad one?) but never tried to make one myself.

I have just checked out a heap of instructibles etc on the net and I peeled all my veggies & threw the skins in the pot with water & I'm boiling it on the gas stove to clean the pot.

Then I bought all this 'Silver side eye steak' on sale (no bones). Peeled so far 1/4 pumpkin, one red capsicum, about 8 carrots & 2 potatoes (just what was in fridge) plus 3 brown onions.

I can buy more veggies because I want to make it tomorrow. I was thinking of using a packet gravy I have, some dried bay leaves, dried herbs, maybe a dried chilli?? Beer? Red wine?

Who has some suggestions? How much liquid in a no.2 potjie? How long to cook it for?

The instructions on the net vary wildly.

Any tips I can take on board?? Thank you.

Edited May 24, 2014 by Bronwyn&Co

[Drought]

options are endless, but i would suggest the longer you can have it on a low heat the better- leaves more time to enjoy the red wine that accompanies any potjie....

Best bit about the potjie is eating the leftovers the next day!

[chzaau]

Have you cured the pot?

[Caz]

I'm not much of a potjie cook myself, but maybe the recipes in the attached doc can help.

POT2 (2).doc

[Bronwyn&Co]

Have you cured the pot?

Hey Chzaau - I did boil up a whole lot of veggie peelings for a couple of hours, and then threw that all away. I think that is curing it? Anyway that's what I read on Instructibles...

Edited May 24, 2014 by Bronwyn&Co

[rozellem]

Bronwyn, we have a Annette Human (from Huisgenoot Wenresepte fame) cookbook for Potjiekos. Cant find it now, but its something like Onthaal met Potjiekos. We are new to the whole potjie thing, thus follow it to the letter. Because, there are all sorts of inside info like: they like to use soy sauce instead of salt, when using cabbage in pot you have to reduce the liquid, etc. Sure you can google zillions on recipes too.

[Mikej]

Man I have a great potjie joke unfortunately not rated for the forum.

Friends of ours invited Australian friends over for a potjie thinking it would be a treat and were deeply insulted when told it was peasant food. Now they don't talk anymore.

Apparently a potjie is serious business.

[rozellem]

Mmmm, Mike I think there is more to that story. I have never heard Potjiekos being described as peasant food. Rather the "old" or traditional way, back when we were all peasants in any case. Back in the day, there were very few fancy titled people eating smoked salmon.

We invited British friends for a potjie and they had to google it. They then found this picture online and was convinced it was of me! I swear its not.....

[Mikej]

They then found this picture online and was convinced it was of me! I swear its not.....

potjie .jpg

I am sure that is not you Rozellem no self respecting, sophisticated lady would get into a pot with her dress on..

[Bronwyn&Co]

I love it! No man Rozelle I'm almost sure you are curing the pot wrong!

[chzaau]

Here is the correct way to cure a pot,http://potjiepotusa.com/curing

[Bronwyn&Co]

Ok so just to report back that the potjie was lekker! I used a combo of about 5 of the recipes attached above.

Next time I want it a bit more meat-flavour than tomato flavour, but it was seriously nice. I also made a beer bread my diet is not going too well.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

[Riekie]

Here you go Bron!

http://www.potjiekosworld.com

[DXB2OZ]

Guideline for potjie - a shot for the pot, a shot for the chef. When the chef is "done", so is the potjie!

Haven't read the files yet (I plan to spend quite a while perusing those), but a couple of things which work well for us:

Add a spirit (eg brandy) at the browning stage, before adding other liquids (incl wine).

Always use meat with bones - it really makes a difference.

Don't be afraid to mix it up a bit - I add a touch of cinnamon and sugar to my lamb - yum.

[Bronwyn&Co]

I agree, next time the meat will have bones in it! I used paprika, 3 bay leaves, 2 dried chillies, white pepper, a beer, tin of tomatoes, teaspoon of mixed herbs, 3 teaspoons sugar and a packet sauce I happened to have. Oh plus some soy sauce and bisto, haha. 5 hours over a tiny gas flame. I usually go more by feel than recipes, but it's good to read them to pick up some tips.

[SurferMan]

I never use recipes, I go by old school "feel" the closest I come is using ideas and themes from recipes. i relish the challenge.

Enjoy this folks!

http://funkymunky.co.za/

[Drought]

if it is too watery, add in some rice. The best potjies I think are those where you chuck together whatever you have- as long as it cooks for a long enough length of time, you cannot go wrong.

Actually quite like the idea of a potjie being peasant food- just means I can drink beer instead of wine

[SurferMan]

Brilliant,

I often make remarks to people who come over to eat that they will be eating peasants fare...lol. I also rather fancy a spot of plebian food every now and then. On the flip side I am known to go to Apicius type lengths when the mood hits me.

[Bronwyn&Co]

Brilliant,

I often make remarks to people who come over to eat that they will be eating peasants fare...lol. I also rather fancy a spot of plebian food every now and then. On the flip side I am known to go to Apicius type lengths when the mood hits me.

Surferman thanks for making me Google Apicius. Now I learnt something. Hmmm...flamingo potjie, now there's an idea....

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apicius

[Sunnyskies]

My only criteria is to make sure you spice enough, otherwise it can be verrrry boring peasant food. I must be honest I don't really appreciate the 7 hour potjie. It all becomes a bit too mushy.

[Sunnyskies]

I agree, next time the meat will have bones in it! I used paprika, 3 bay leaves, 2 dried chillies, white pepper, a beer, tin of tomatoes, teaspoon of mixed herbs, 3 teaspoons sugar and a packet sauce I happened to have. Oh plus some soy sauce and bisto, haha. 5 hours over a tiny gas flame. I usually go more by feel than recipes, but it's good to read them to pick up some tips.

A chicken pot I used to do a lot.

Chopped onions in first, add some masala, coriander, garam masala, then add chicken - must have bones in it - (I then break the rules and stir so that the chicken is coated with spices), add salt and cook for a bit, then add veggies (basically get whatever you have in the fridge out but always good if you have potatoes and pumpkin), add stock or beer or both, put lid on and let it "prit" for a fair while without stirring. Personally I never add rice to my pot as it goes gluggy - rather make fluffy white rice and a good green salad and have ready. About 45 to 60 minutes on the coals and once the liquid is fairly well absorbed give it a stir. Then either give it another 15 minutes or it is ready to serve.

For the flame we always used to make a fire and then put the pot on the side once we had some coals ready. Then just move a few coals over to under the pot while keeping the real fire going next to it. We haven't really been able to do that here as we don't have a good fireplace like we used to, but we probably could do if we have two wood braais. Important to keep consistent heat.

[DXB2OZ]

My other contribution - especially for a chicken potjie - bacon! All my potjie pots are on the boat and this thread has made me sooooo hungry!

[Bronwyn&Co]

I'm afraid I didn't have the luxury of a real fire. Stood the potjie over the smallest gas ring on the stove (I had seen friends do it with success).

It worked fine, but you have to first heat the pot over the big ring for about 15 mins before you throw in the meat. It must be very hot, or else it starts to boil

Then you move it to the small flame for the slow-cooking bit.