I think first of all I have to give some background as to just what "potjiekos" (small pot food) is for those who don't know, as I do not think this is common knowledge overseas - I might be wrong.
It is a relatively new "development" in South Africa. As you might, or might not, know, with the lovely weather and sunshine we have, we are outdoors crazy. Be it braai (barbecue for most of you) swimming, sport(s) etc. or being out in the veldt. To braai is like second nature here - thus the popularity of potjiekos. And competitions abound in summertime.
Potjiekos is made in cast iron pots. Of old it was the three-legged round-bottom variety, mainly used by outdoors people and farm labourers, as one could put it on the fire and not burn it through in a lifetime. Now, with the advent of potjiekos, you get those, still round but legless flat-bottomed, and more normal pot like flat-bottomed ones. These last ones are good for baking potbread for example.
Before potjiekos became popular one would make either stew or porridge. But not porridge as you would know it. A stiff crumbly porridge (stywe pap, phutu) for which there is actually not an English word as far as I know.
Back to potjiekos. Many people call it a stew, but the main difference between a potjie and a stew is that you do not stir a potjie. Once all the ingredients is in you don't move the contents until it is moved onto a plate. The meat is done first until almost ready, and then removed from the pot if necessary to do other stuff first, like the onions. All this is done in the sam pot so as to keep all the juices and flavour in one pot, and not waste it in another.
Once all initial preparation is done the ingredients are packed back into the pot, meat in the bottom, the rest on top of it in layers. Those ingredients taking longest are put below, those done most quickly, like mushrooms, comes on top, or in some instances even later. And, as I said, once the ingredients are added the spoon stays outside. This requires a slow fire in order not to burn the meat and other ingredients in the bottom while those on top is still raw. Preparing a pot from first meat starting to pot off the fire is seldom less than three hours, unless the meat is pre-cooked - not so much fun.
Now, after that long intro, the recipe. I give the recipe as I got it, with my comments and preferences in brackets.
Mustard Cream Pot.
Ingredients:
1 large Impala neck
(you'll use a deer's? I've used blesbok/springbok)
4-6 onions
250gram bacon
OR
3-4 Russian sausages
(I always take the bacon)
250gram prunes
4 chopped cloves of
garlic (I always put in more - the taste
is very subdued)
1 large tin whole
dewatered mushrooms (fresh is obviously better)
1 tablespoon juniper
berries (First off I couldn't find this, and used a whole
tin of blueberries - MUCH better. I've found juniper in the mean
time, but will never use it again in this.)
2.5ml ground cloves
2.5ml nutmeg
2.5ml ground coriander
Salt and coarse pepper
to taste
(One can also add other vegetables to taste, but I add only small potatoes.)
Mustard sauce:
12.5ml lemon juice
25ml cake flour
250ml mayonnaise
60ml dry mustard powder
125ml sugar
250ml warm water
3ml salt
125ml white vinegar
Method: Pot:
Steam meat in soda
water or ginger ale with spices and berries until done.
Fry onions, garlic,
bacon/russian together.
Add onion mix to the
deboned meat (I don't bother), together with the prunes and mushrooms.
Boil slowly over low
heat until prunes are swollen.
Add mustard sauce
and simmer for about 10 minutes. DO NOT cook longer than necessary.
Serve either hot or cold (darn nice the next morning if there's any left!) with salad and potbread or rice.
Method: Sauce:
Simply mix everything
together and stir, ensuring that the dry ingredients had completely dissolved.
NOTE:
When steaming the meat, just make very sure that you don't add too
much water - that really spoils it in the end as the sauce will be too
thin.