Potjiekos is a traditional South African stew cooked in a cast iron pot over a fire. It can be made with meat or vegetables and is a social affair. It is usually served with starch and is similar to a braai or barbecue.
Potjiekos is a traditional form of South African cuisine. Potjie, in Afrikaans, means “small pot” and kos means “food”. There are many variations on the ingredients used for potjiekos. Basically, it’s a stew cooked in a cast iron pot, usually a three-legged one, over a fire. Serving of potjiekos is a social affair, as it has to be cooked over a long period of time.
Traditionally potjiekos was a meat dish, usually containing lamb or beef, although any meat may be used, including chicken, venison, tripe, and fish. Now there are also recipes for vegetable-only potjiekos. Many family recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. Stews usually contain onion and any combination of vegetables, most commonly potatoes, carrots, beans or squash. Each ingredient is added at specific times during the process to ensure nothing gets too mushy.
One of the best known traditional potjiekos recipes is waterblommetjiebredie, which contains lamb and waterblommetjies, or water lilies. Water lilies are harvested while still in the bud stage and used as a vegetable. They sprout in the winter months, June to September in South Africa, which is the perfect time for a warming winter stew like potjiekos.
The cooking process varies according to the recipe, but usually the meat is cooked or browned first with a little oil, then with the rest of the ingredients added. Sometimes liquid, or alcohol, such as beer or red wine or broth is added. Once everything is in the pot, it is placed over the coals and left to simmer for up to six hours. Slow cooking allows for tender meat. Depending on the chef, some stirring occurs during the cooking time, but the potjiekos is, by and large, left to cook on its own, with the lid open.
Bread can also be baked this way, in a similar pot. When done this way, it is referred to as potbrood. Potjiekos is usually served with some form of starch, usually rice, potatoes, or mielie pap, which is a traditional African stiff corn porridge.
When referring to traditional South African cuisine, potjiekos and braai or barbecue are two prime examples. The food in both cases is cooked outside which is suitable for the good South African climate. A braai, however, allows for quicker cooking of the meat, on a grill directly over the hot coals. Both versions of South African cuisine incorporate a very social aspect, with guests actively participating.
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