Potjiekos (Afrikaans Stew on the Fire)
Abuja, Nigeria ·
Aperçu
Potjiekos takes its name from its vessel. A potjie is the round, three legged cast iron pot that sits directly in the embers, and potjiekos, pronounced poi-key-kos, is simply the food that comes out of it. The pot is a descendant of the Dutch oven brought to the Cape in the 17th century, and it is now found in households across southern Africa. The defining rule of a potjie is that it is not stirred. Ingredients are layered, meat at the bottom, vegetables above it in the order of how long they need, and the lid stays on. What comes out is not a stew in the ordinary sense: the layers hold something of their own identity rather than dissolving into a common sauce, and that separation is the point of the method. It is also a social form. A potjie runs for three to six hours, and the cooking is the occasion rather than the preparation for one. People sit around the fire while it happens. South Africans distinguish it from a braai, which is the other great outdoor cooking institution, and rank the two as the country's twin claims on the fire.
How do I stop my potjie from catching on the bottom?
Keep the heat low and resist stirring. A potjie is built in layers on purpose, and stirring collapses them and drags meat onto the hot base. If it is catching, the fire is too big rather than the pot being wrong: pull coals away rather than adding liquid, because extra water turns it into a stew. A small amount of liquid at the bottom at the start is enough; the vegetables release plenty as they go.