A potjie is the perfect meal for a family gathering or camping trip. It can be cooked over a gas job or fire and requires very little attention. Prepare and add all of the ingredients and then leave it to cook without opening or stirring until it is ready. The heavy cast iron pot ensures that heat is evenly distributed so that the food cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. The chicken in this recipe is marinaded in wine and yoghurt for tender and flavourful dish. This potjie is best served with white rice or mashed potato and a beer bread makes a delicious side.
Makes 8 servings. Preparation Time 30mins, Cooking Time About 3 Hours.
You Will Need:
- 2kg Chicken Pieces (Thighs produce the best flavour)
- 5 Large Potatoes
- 5 Large Carrots
- 1 Green Pepper
- 1 Cup Green Beans
- 1 Punnet Mushrooms
- 10 Dried Apricot Halves
Marinade
- 2 Cups of Plain Yoghurt
- 2 Cups of White Wine
- 1 Large Onion
- 10 Black Peppercorns
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 Tsp Lemon Zest
Peel and finely chop the onion. Mix in the remainder of the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinade in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
Peel and chop the potatoes into quarters. Peel and slice the carrots and the green pepper. Slice the mushrooms, top and tail the beans and slice them in half. Over a high heat, in the potjie pot, fry the chicken pieces (removed from the marinade) individually until brown on both sides. Once brown, place all of the chicken back into the pot. Add the vegetables in layers above the chicken in order, potatoes, carrots, green beans, green pepper, apricots and finally the mushrooms. Pour the marinade over the layered vegetables, cover with the lid and allow the pot to simmer for 2.5 hours without opening the lid or stirring the vegetables.
Just before serving, stir all of the vegetables together. If the marinade is too watery, mix a packet of mushroom or white onion soup with a half cup of warm water, pour this into the pot and stir together before allowing to simmer for a further 10 minutes to thicken.
Serve the potjie directly from the pot with a pot of white rice. The left overs keep well for up to three days in the refrigerator. It does not freeze well as the carrots and potatoes become soggy.