Tender lamb and layered vegetables slow-cooked over the coals in a cast-iron pot. A long, lazy afternoon in one pot.
A potjie is less a recipe than an afternoon: the fire, the pot, and people standing around it. The lamb cooks until it falls off the bone, and the vegetables steam in layers on top.
The golden rule of potjiekos is to layer the vegetables and leave them alone. The ones that need longest go in first, nearest the heat, and each layer steams the one above it.
The recipe
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Lamb
Vegetables
Vegetables
Vegetables
Vegetables
Vegetables
Heat a no. 3 potjie over medium coals. Add the oil and brown the lamb in batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Set aside.
Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the coriander and paprika for 1 minute.
Return the lamb and add the bay leaves, stock, wine, tomato paste and salt. Put the lid on and simmer gently over a few coals for 1 1/2 hours. Do not stir.
Layer the vegetables on top in this order, without stirring: carrots, potatoes, butternut, mushrooms and green beans. Put the lid back on and cook for another hour, until the vegetables are tender.
Stir gently just before serving, or serve straight from the pot in layers. Good with rice or pap.
Where to trust your instinct
The heat. A potjie wants a gentle bubble: a few coals under the pot, topped up every 30 minutes. If you can hear it boiling hard, pull some coals out.
No potjie? Use a heavy casserole on the stove on low, or in the oven at 160 °C. Check that your stock is gluten-free.
Brown the meat and cut the vegetables in the morning, then start the potjie in the afternoon.
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months.
Approximate values, calculated per serving. Fibre 6 g · Sodium 620 mg.
