Elevate your potjie game with these 4 expert yet simple tips.

A potjie is made up of four parts and each needs to be perfectly executed for your potjie to be praiseworthy. Be sure to layer these elements carefully; ingredients that require a longer cooking time should be added in first. 

Meat

Use meat cuts that contain bones or are notoriously tough as these are perfect for long, slow cooking which unlocks oodles of flavour. Try these cuts in your next pot: 

Beef – Short ribs,
Chicken – Bone-in
Lamb – Knuckles,
Pork – Neck, shin 

Vegetables 

Onions, carrots, celery, and leeks are usually fried with aromatics (herbs and spices) first, as these become the flavour base for your potjie. Veggies like butternut and pumpkin, which will need longer to cook, should be added to the potjie before the more tender veg. The 

softer vegetables like green beans, mini corn, and fresh mushrooms, which have a much shorter cooking time, should be added towards the end. 

Starches 

Just like a sponge, starch soaks up all the delicious sauce that’s spent hours developing in flavour. Potatoes or sweet potatoes are great choices, but you can also use orzo (pasta rice), basmati rice or baby potatoes. Aside from incorporating the starch into the potjie, it can also be served on the side. 

Liquids 

Stock and water are great options for those who don’t consume alcohol, but there are other ways to build flavour with liquid. Try adding tomato purée, coconut milk or canned chopped tomatoes. Take into account that vegetables contain water as well, so don’t add too much liquid as veggies will cook down and create their own “sauce”. Alcohol like stout beer or sherry can also be used to add deeper flavour to your potjie. 

Words: Sjaan van der Ploeg 

Photography: Fresh Living Magazine

The post 4 ways to master your potjie appeared first on MyKitchen.

Master this classic South African staple with these fabulous recipes (and handy tips) fit for any braai

Seafood potjie 

Serves 6 

Total time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients 

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped 
1 bulb fennel, chopped (reserve fronds)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3cm knob ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup white wine (optional)
1 can (400g) tomato purée
1 Tbsp sugar
4 cups fish stock
3 bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
500g orzo (pasta rice)
3 fillets (about 100g each) kingklip or hake, skinned and cut into large chunks
10-12 prawns, defrosted and deveined
1 packet (about 450g) frozen mussels, defrosted and cleaned
Salt and milled black pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1. Prepare hot coals. Heat oil in a large cast-iron pot. 
2. Fry onion, fennel, garlic, ginger and chilli for about 3 minutes. 
3. Add paprika and fry for a minute. 
4. Add wine, if using, and simmer for 3-5 minutes. 
5. Stir in tomato purée, sugar and fish stock. 
6. Adjust coals so that potjie is simmering over low heat, cover with the lid and simmer for 20-30 minutes, without stirring. 
7. Add peppers, cover and simmer for 8 minutes. 
8. Add orzo, fish, prawns and mussels, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes. 
9. Remove from heat, season and stir through lemon, parsley and fennel fronds. Serve immediately.

Chef’s tip
Cut costs by swapping fresh seafood with 700g frozen marinara mix.  

Cheat’s potjie

Serves 6 

Total time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup oil
2kg beef goulash
Salt and milled black pepper
500g butternut and sweet potato mix
500g mixed vegetables
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 packet (50g) brown onion soup powder
3 cups water
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 lemon, juiced

Method 

1. Prepare hot coals. 
2. Heat half the oil in a large cast-iron pot and season goulash well. Fry in batches for 3-5 minutes each. Remove and set aside. 
3. Brown butternut and sweet potato, then mixed veg, in batches for about 5 minutes each. 
4. Set vegetables aside, keeping butternut and sweet potato separate. 
5. Heat remaining oil and fry onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until golden. 
6. Return meat to pot and braise lightly for 5-8 minutes. 
7. Adjust coals so that the potjie is simmering over low heat. 
8. Combine brown onion soup powder and water. Pour over beef. 
9. Cover the potjie with the lid and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. 
10. Add butternut and sweet potato, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 
11. Add mixed vegetables, cover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. 
12. Stir through fresh parsley, lemon juice and season well. Serve immediately. 

Chef’s tip
Searing the meat and vegetables helps to kickstart the cooking process, reducing overall cook time.  

Milk stout and beef potjie

Serves 6 

Total time 3 hours

Ingredients

2kg beef shin or neck
Salt and milled black pepper
¼ cup cake flour
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 (100g each) thick-cut pork rashers, cubed
6-8 baby onions, quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bottles milk stout (340m1 each)
3 bay leaves
2 cups beef stock
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Handful fresh parsley or thyme, leaves picked
1kg baby potatoes, halved
400g baby carrots, peeled and halved
½ lemon, juiced

For serving  

Cooked fluffy rice

Method

1. Season beef generously and coat evenly in flour, shaking off excess. 
2. Heat oil in a cast-iron potjie over hot coals. Brown beef and pork in batches for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. 
3. Add onions and garlic to pot and fry for 3-5 minutes. 
4. Return meat to pot, add milk stout and braise gently for 5-8 minutes. Adjust the coals to low-medium heat. 
5. Add bay leaves, stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Cover and simmer for 2 hours without stirring.
6. Add potatoes, cover with the lid and simmer for 15 minutes. 
7. Add carrots, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender. 
8. Remove potjie from heat, season well and stir through lemon juice. 
9. Serve with rice. 

Top-Tip 

Potjie doesn’t always need to be served with I rice, there are plenty of other fun sides you can enjoy your meal with. Opt for something carby to mop up any leftover juices or go for a fresh option to cut the rich flavours:  

– Potbrood, vetkoek or dombolo 
– Roti, naan or poppadoms 
– Creamy pap or samp and beans 
– Fresh salad, potato salad or mashed potatoes 
– Garlic bread, coleslaw or grilled mielies.  

Short rib potjie 

Serves 6-8 

Total time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the spice mix  

3 Tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 whole cloves
1 sprig fresh curry leaves (optional)
2kg beef short ribs
Salt and milled black pepper
Glug canola oil
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3cm knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 red chillies
3 cups beef stock 200-300g dried fruit (sultanas, Turkish apricots or prunes), halved
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and grated
½ cup dessicated coconut or coconut flakes, toasted

For serving  

Cooked rice
Fresh parsley  

Method

1. Combine spices in a pestle and mortar, and crush. 
2. Season meat generously. 
3. Heat oil in a cast-iron potjie over medium coals and brown meat in batches. Remove and set aside. 
4. Sauté onion for about 8-10 minutes until soft and golden. 
5. Add spices, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Return meat to potjie and top up with stock. 
7. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1 hour. Resist the urge to stir. 
8. Add fruit and coconut and simmer for an hour. It’s ready once the meat falls off the bone easily and sauce has thickened. 
9. Serve potjiekos warm, on a bed of rice, garnished with fresh parsley.

Chicken feet and chakalaka potjie

Serves 6

Total time 1 hour 30 minutes 

Ingredients

1kg (about 28-30) chicken feet, cleaned and nails removed (optional)
3 Tbsp coarse salt
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2 Tbsp canola oil
4 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 sachet (50g) tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
3 salad tomatoes, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cans (410g each) chakalaka
Salt and milled black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the salsa  

1 red onion, chopped
2 salad tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
½ lemon, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and milled black pepper

 Method

1. Rub chicken feet with coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes (this will help to clean them), then gently scrub under cold water and dry thoroughly. 
2. Deep-fry feet in batches in hot oil for 3-6 minutes or until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. (Deep-frying the feet before cooking with other ingredients helps maintain its shape.) 
3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron pot over medium-hot coals. 
4. Fry carrot, onion, garlic and bay leaves for about 5-8 minutes. 
5. 5. Add spices and fry for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and cook for a minute. 
6. Stir through sugar, tomato, lemon juice and 1 cup stock and cook for 3 minutes. 
7. Add chicken feet and braise lightly for 3-5 minutes. 
8. Adjust coals so that potjie is simmering over low heat. 
9. Pour in remaining stock and chakalaka, cover and simmer gently for about 30-40 minutes. 10. Remove potjie from heat, season and stir through coriander. 
10. Combine salsa in a bowl and season. 
11. Serve potjie with salsa and freshly baked potbrood with herbed butter. 

Chef’s tip
If you opt for chicken wings instead of feet, skip the salting and deep-frying, and simply brown meat in hot oil before adding carrots, onions, garlic and bay leaves.  

The post MyKitchen’s famous South African potjie recipes appeared first on MyKitchen.

Try something slightly different at your next get-together and make our Spanish chicken and chorizo potjie. With an array of spices and flavours, this may be the winner at the next potjie competition!

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 min

INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil, to fry
2 onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
60 g chorizo, sliced
5 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp paprika
500 g tomato purée
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup green olives, pitted
1 red pepper, seeded and cubed
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cubed
1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks
Salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a potjie and fry the onions for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and chorizo and cook for a few minutes, then add thyme and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the purée, paste and stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Mix in the olives and peppers and simmer for 30 minutes, until reduced.
5. Season the chicken and braai until golden brown. Add to the potjie and simmer for 30 more minutes before serving.

The post Spanish chicken & chorizo potjie appeared first on MyKitchen.