This Potjie Pot is the perfect size for cooking for a family. If you are tired from grill, try something new and cook some delicious South African food. Enjoy the taste of something fresh and new and experience the taste of a culinary unexplored country. The food you make in your Potjie Pot will be unlike any other and will open you up to new ideas and creativity in the kitchen.
Around the world, you’ll find most countries have a signature dish. A dish that proudly emulates the spirit of the country. On this plate you’ll find history laced in aromas that conjure up feelings of familiarity and comforting memories. It’s a dish you call home. For South Africans, it’s potjie!
Our rainbow nation is diverse, colourful, and unique. So are our potjies! You will quickly find out who is passionate about making potjie by just having a simple conversation – to add patty pans or not, to make your potjie in layers or not, do you stir your pot, etc. Every single South African in our diverse cultures has their own way of making their signature pot.
A potjie is a stew-like dish made in a cast iron three-legged or flat-bottomed pot. A potjie is traditionally made on an open fire, synonymous of the great outdoors, and takes anything between 2-4 hours to cook. A potjie is served with a starch as a side like rice, pap, samp, or bread.
On the outside of every Megamaster cast iron three-legged potjie pot, there are rings around it. The rule of thumb in the potjie world is to multiply the number of rings by the number pot you have. For example, our Nr 3 Potjie has 4 rings = 12 portions. Let’s say you’re not that many people for lunch, use the rings as an indication of where your ingredients should stop inside your pot. Using a flat-bottomed pot is a little trickier, so we did the math for you. Our Nr 10 Flat Pot is 3 litres and can feed 2-4 people.
This Seize 2 medium potjie pot can hold is 7,8L, Diameter is 23cm – good for 4-6 people meal. Can be used with Kamado Joe, Green Egg and other ceramic grills.
Potjie Pots are made of cast iron, so before your first cook, you need to prepare it correctly. Our potjies are coated either in oil or wax to protect them from rust during production till it is welcomed into your home. It is therefor crucial that you burn in your pot and season it before the first use. The factory residue, wax or oil can be very toxic to people. Not only can it discolour the food you cook in it, but it can also affect the taste, in some cases even make you sick.
It is a tedious process, but we cannot stress enough how important this step is. A bigger pot can sometimes take 2-3 times before your pot is ready for use. Cast iron is very much like a raw wood salad bowl that needs to be treated with tenderness, love, and care.
It is very important to do maintenance on your pot, keeping it clean and storing it in a dry place. The more you use your pot, the better it is for the cast iron. Therefore the more you use it, the more you season your pot. Cast iron is porous, meaning that every time you heat it up with oil or fat, it will start filling the small, microscopic holes in the surface – making it a non-stick pot or pan over time. A brand-new cast iron pot won’t be non-stick because it must mature in its seasoning. All good things come with time.
If you find rust, scrub the rust off with fine wire wool and hot soapy water until the rust is removed. Remember that cast iron will rust easily if there is any moisture in it when you store it. Refrain from ‘drip drying’ your pot. Dry off and follow the steps again to store your pot. Be sure to repeat the curing process before cooking in it again.
Potjie is a slow meal that takes nearly an entire day to prepare, cook and then finally enjoy. It’s a ceremony that brings people together.
“I love a good potjie. In fact, I consider potjie to be one of the purest parts and fundamental ways of having a braai.” – Jan Braai, Cookbook Author
“A potjie is something I cook when I’m at home with my family. It’s a wholesome meal that brings us all together.” – Terror Lekopa, Head Chef at the Saxon Hotel
Some potjiekos recipes to try:
https://potjiekosworld.com/category/lamb-potjie-recipes/