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Thanks for explaining the difference, BushCall & Richprins. Looks like I need to buy both.

I'll start with a three-legged one, as I won't be going to the park this year.*


* We're off to the lakes, woods and mooses of Sweden, but we will be bringing our Cobb BBQ of SA fame with us too.

Found this one:

Lamb shank potjie
Ingredients
2 kg lamb shanks, cut into long pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml butter
30 ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
30 ml cake flour
250 ml dry white wine (you may need more)
500 ml chicken stock
125 ml chopped fresh parsley
10 ml dried oregano
60 ml lemon juice
3 egg yolks



Method:
Season the shanks well with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter and oil in a cast-iron pot and brown the shanks.
Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the onions and celery until soft.
Add the cake flour and heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
Add 250 ml of the white wine, bring to the boil and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
Add the stock, parsley and oregano.
Return the meat to the pot, cover and simmer slowly for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender (add more white wine if the pot seems dry).
Remove the meat from the pot.
Beat the lemon juice and egg yolks with 125 ml of the meat sauce.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir the egg yolk mixture into the sauce.
Return the meat to the pot and mix.
Serve with mealie meal porridge.

This is a great accompaniment to a Potjie

Baked Butternut & Sweet Potato

Ingredients
Butternut – halved and pips removed
Sweet potato – small - peeled and chopped
Bacon (optional) - chopped
Onion – small – chopped
Feta cheese - crumbled
Salt and Pepper and Nutmeg
Dollop of margarine/butter/oil
Tinfoil

Method
Cut out a wedge in the thick part of the butternut, chop up and mix with remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture back into the butternut and add margarine. Cover each half in tinfoil and bake it next to the coals of the Potjie, turning every 10 minutes or so.

Unwrap and tuck-in!

Can some one tell me what a [quote]potjie [/quote] is and how do you use it?

Can I buy one in SA? And would it be a good idea to get one for our time in Kruger?

Hi Kildrought,

This is a potjie.


In other countries known as a camp oven. If you like cooking, you might want to buy one, but the are made of caster iron, so bringing it back might be a bit expensive. Pity they don't have potjie rentals.

'Everything you always wanted to know about potjies, but were afraid to ask' is answered in this thread: Your favourite potjie-recipe

..... on the other hand if you gave it to camp attendent when you leave they would be THRILLED

Oh that looks so cool! Are they expensive to buy?

Do you just stand it into a fire/embers to cook? Are there areas in Kruger/other parks where you can have an open fire?

Hi Kildrought

The poytjie costs about ZAR 250-350, depending on where you buy them.
Yes you stand it in the coals to cook, and yes you can have a open fire in every camp in the park in the designated fire places. Just remember to put out all the coals with some water before you go to bed as wind easily comes up at night and this can scatter some coals and lead to veld fires.

Just to add to WD, you also get different sizes (they are numbered in sizes, 1, 2, 3 etc) and apart from the three legged ones, you can also buy flat bottom ones...

Had to visit the Amarula website and saw this one:

Leg of venison with amarula sauce

Ingredients:
Marinade:
300ml pear and apricot juice
50ml sunflower oil
30ml chutney
6 spring onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, crumbled
10ml brown sugar
2,5 kg leg of venison OR lamb
250 g streaky bacon
200 g sugar
1-liter water
rind of lemon, cut in one long, thin strip
6 pears, peeled and cored
30 g butter, softened
100 g fresh or canned blueberries
500 ml beef stock
100 ml Amarula Cream
30 ml Brandy
15 ml cornflour
30 ml cold water
sprigs of fresh herbs such as sage OR rosemary

(Serves 4 – 6)

Method:
In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade. Lard the leg, if you wish, cover with the bacon, secure with string and place into a deep container. Pour over the marinade. Marinade for 2 days, turning occasionally.

Into a saucepan, place the sugar and water. Add the lemon rind and boil rapidly for 2 minutes. Place the pears upright in the syrup and poach for 8 minutes. Drain the pears, reserve the syrup and set aside.

Drain the meat on a wire rack and pat dry with paper towel. Spread with butter and season. Place the meat in a roasting pan and roast, in a preheated over at 160 degrees. Calculate 15 minutes of cooking time per 500g, plus an additional 15 minutes of longer, according to taste.

Place the pears in the roasting pan with the meat for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Add the blueberries for the last 10 minutes. Remove the meat and keep warm in an oven drawer. Halve and core the pears. Spoon the berries into the pear halves with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Pour the excess fat from the pan and deglaze with the stock and half the syrup.
Reduce to two thirds and pour through a sieve. Add the Amarula Cream and brandy and bring to boiling point. Combine the cornflour with the cold water.
Add just enough to Amarula mixture to thicken to a sauce consistency.
Pour into a serving dish.

Place the saddle of venison on a serving plate and arrange the stuffed pears alongside. Baste the meat with a little sauce to glaze and garnish with herbs Serve the remaining sauce separately.

Here are some more delicious sounding recipes for potjies


and

Here is a tip from my Dad who was a fantastic bush chef in his day.

If you are going to have to go away and leave you pot unattended by yourself as the chef and in the hands of someone who may not be too skilled at temperature control line the pot with a layer of cabbage leaves or moroggo. After you have oiled it well layer the cabbage thickly around the inner edges of the pot, layer with your ingredients and close of with a layer of cabbage before you close the lid. This way no ingredients of the pot touch the hot sides and even if the outer layer of cabbage burns the taste does not affect the rest of the food.

Would this work on the stove too? I am continually burning my potatoes, rice, (even hard boiled eggs )

I have used it on the stove but only for stews etc. The thing is that if it does not burn the cabbage infused with all those flavours is delicious and if it does then most of the food can be rescued

I have also never known anyone to offer to cook my brekkie for me.

I have been thinking about a recipe I want someone to try out for me (or let me know if you think it may be a crazy or good idea.)

Bunny hugger scrambled eggs.

Ingredients.

1/2 Onion finely chopped.
1/4 green pepper also finely chopped.
1/2 tin whole kernel corn
6 eggs.

Method.

Grease skottel with some marge or butter, add onions and green pepper and cook until onions are clear. Add corn and fry lightly for about a minute. Now add beaten eggs and cook.

Serve on toast or bread and season with salt and pepper

Your thoughts on this one. I want to try it when I get into the park. Could experiment with it at home but it just won't taste the same as in the bush.