Potjiekos is a South African national treasure. When you think about it, potjiekos is really just a stew that’s been made on an open fire. There are a few essentials when it comes to making a potjie: pack everything with care, meat in the bottom, and don’t stir! It takes a lot of discipline not to stir a pot though, so we don’t completely abide by the rules. Here’s Joey’s delicious ostrich and mushroom potjiekos, made with love and a secret ingredient!
Ingredients
- 500g Ostrich goulash pieces
- 500g mixed mushrooms
- oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, cut up
- 500g baby potatoes
- 250g green beans
- 125ml magic stock*
- 500ml water
- cornstarch
- a handful of fresh herbs (we used flat leaf parsley, origanum and thyme)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 125ml red wine
* The secret is in the stock! Make your own by grilling 1kg beef bones in the oven for 30 mins. Then boil them in 3 litres of water with a few carrots, celery, onions, and garlic until you’ve cooked all the goodness out of them. Decant the delicious liquid into small tubs and use when needed for soups, stews, potjie or anything else really!
Method
Get your fire going! You will need a pile of medium heat coles to start. It’s best to use a tripod under your pot.
Heat the oil and fry the onions and garlic. Add the meat and brown, then remove and let it rest.
Next, add the baby potatoes, carrots, stock and water. Let it cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked.
Add the meat, mushrooms, and red wine and reduce the heat by removing some of the coals. Season to taste. Then let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the meat is tender.
To thicken the potjie:
Add cold water to the cornstarch to form a paste. Then add some of the potjie juice to the cornstarch and mix till smooth and lump-free before adding the mixture to the potjie. Stir and cook for another 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a few sprinkles of fresh herbs and a glass of deep red wine.
Enjoy!