A family favourite! My seven-year-old daughter especially loves this. Fruity and savoury potjie with hints of cinnamon and ginger, what's not to like? I serve this with brown rice or cornbread, sometimes both.
Equipment
- 1 no. 3 potjie pot
- 1 Potjie stand
Ingredients
- 2 kg chicken pieces legs and thighs
- 2 small onions finely chopped
- 2 small carrots grated
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 500 g mixed dried fruit
- 50 g tomato paste
- 250 ml white wine or dry sherry
- 1/2 t ground cumin
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t ground ginger
- 1/2 t thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Victory favours preparation, as they say, so get all your ingredients ready.
- Start by soaking the dried fruit in the chicken stock.
- Season your chicken with salt and pepper, then drizzle it with a coating of olive oil.
- Time to get your fire going. Charcoal suits me because it is most convenient, however, should my friend Eugene read this, he would strongly disagree with me; on the other hand, he would burn a whole forest just to grill two lamb chops.
- Get the pot nice and hot by placing it directly on the coals.
- Sear the chicken pieces on both sides until golden brown, remove them and set aside. Add the celery, carrots, and onions (mirepoix) to the pot and cook until translucent.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes while stirring. This caramelises the sugars in the tomato paste and adds a punch of flavour and colour to the stew.
- Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated. Any residual alcohol will give the stew a bitter taste.
- Add the spices, chicken stock and fruit, then layer the chicken pieces on top. Cover the pot and bring it up to boil.
- As soon as the stew reaches a boil, lift it off the coals with a potjie stand. From this point onwards, the stew must simmer slowly. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Stirring the pot will cause the chicken to break up. Rather lift the pot by its handle, using both hands, and rotate it left to right as if opening and closing a valve. Doing so will move the contents of the pot and prevent it from sticking.
- If necessary, thicken the sauce with a roux: combine 1 tablespoon soft butter with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. Gently stir the roux into the sauce and allow it to cook for five more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
