Lamb, Red Wine, Brandy and Dumplings Potjie Recipe

Had a great Sunday afternoon with Potjie Novice Jeremy Cowen. The former chef took to cast iron pot cooking like a moth to a flame. And introduced some funky tweaks to this recipe, based on one from Jock Forrester: http://www.forrester.co.za/2008/08/lamp-potjie-winning-recipe.html

Here’s our version.

Lamb, Red Wine, Brandy and Dumplings Potjie Recipe

• 4 onions - two chopped and two quartered.
• Fresh garlic, 8 cloves.
• 3tbs mixed chopped herbs, FRESH is better (thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano)
• Olive oil for frying meat and onions
• 3 large carrots, chopped into chunky bits
• 1 large butternut (¼ chopped into small blocks, about 1cm X 1cm, the rest chopped big).
• ½ of a bottle of red wine, some heavy and spicy
• 1.5 to 2kg lamb neck
• 2 heads of broccoli
• 2 tins of tomato and onion mix
• 2 handfuls of baby potatoes
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Cous Cous (for serving with)
• Dumpling dough (it’s just bread dough from Spar with some flour to craft your dough balls)

Put in some olive oil, fry the chopped onions and garlic until the onions are smelling awesome. Put the meat it and brown, add some black pepper and salt.

Put in the potatoes, carrots, small chopped butternut, cans of tomato and onion, mixed herbs and the wine. Add a liberal splash of brandy. Have a sip yourself. 

Keep the heat consistent, listen for the low gurgle. Cook for 2 hours. 

Then add the rest of the butternut and the dumplings. Dumplings are easy: spread some flour on a board. Make little Lindt Chocolate Ball sized dough balls. Dust with flour. Plop in pot, make sure they don’t touch each other. Cook for 45 minutes.

10 min from eating time add the broccoli! Otherwise it’ll go soggy. And no-one likes soggy broccoli. Well, perhaps no-one likes broccoli either. Then leave it out.

Serve with cous cous and fine red wine. FEEDS 8 people easily.