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You are here: Home / Recipes / Braai/Barbecue / Chicken, chorizo and Peppadew potjiekos

Chicken, chorizo and Peppadew potjiekos

by Jeanne Horak on November 2, 2011 16 Comments in Braai/Barbecue, Main course - poultry, Plate to Page, Recipes, South African

ChickenChorizoPeppadewPotjiekos @J Horak-Druiff 2013

Synergy.

It’s a great word – like energy, only better (and despite the way it sounds, no hint of sin!).  It boils down to the notion that a cohesive group is more than the sum of its parts; that a group has the ability to outperform even its best individual member; and that teamwork will produce an overall better result than if each person within the group were working toward the same goal individually.

Synergy is the reason why trade unions are more successful at asserting the rights of workers than individuals could ever be; it’s what makes a sports car more desirable than a pile of its component parts; it’s what makes a symphony such a deep and visceral pleasure to hear; and it’s the reason why meringues provide such an astonishing contrast to their raw ingredients. Most of my dealings with synergy these days involve the preparation of food, but this past weekend I was reminded of the power of synergy in a human context when I was one of the presenters at the second Plate to Page workshop in Tuscany, Italy.

P2PGroupBlog

On paper, it’s 4 instructors from four different European countries who only see each other a couple of times a year, together with 12 strangers who blog, who get together for 3 days to write and photograph, in a Tuscan villa where the thick stone walls can give the interior a fridge-like chill and the local insect population are keen to get to know you better! It seems tremendously unlikely that this intersection of people and place will yield positive energy, creativity, passion, laughter and friendship… and yet it does. After months of preparation and fretting and discussion; after deposits had been scraped together, schedules rearranged, and plane tickets booked, this disparate group of people descended on Il Salicone last weekend to spend three days indulging their passion for food, writing and photography.  Connections were made, friendships were forged and projects were tackled together.  Meals were prepared and eaten, assignments were handed out and shared between pairs, guidance and feedback were given.  And by the time Sunday night came round and I could gaze around the dinner table at 16 shining, happy, energised faces, I had no doubt that there had been synergy between the four instructors and between the 12 participants, and that Plate to Page Tuscany had become far, far more than the sum of its parts.

Synergy is also what turns an ordinary-sounding pile of not particularly expensive or fancy ingredients into something deeply satisfying and flavourful with the simple application of a lot of slow heat and a little patience.  I have written previously about the South African tradition of potjiekos (literally “little pot food”). A potjie is a cooking pot that can trace its origins way back to the early history of the Afrikaners in South Africa.  These round, 3-legged cast iron pots were suspended over an open hearth to cook in early Cape homes and taken on ox wagons with the Voortrekkers into the interior, to be unhooked and cooked in over an open fire at night.  They proved so popular with the indigenous tribes in the country’s interior that traditional clay pots were soon swapped for these more durable vessels.  These days, they are used as a kind of open-air crockpot in which food is stewed slowly in a closed pot over hot coals, to emerge tender and fragrant and delicious.

This recipe is one that a friend recently selected as the first dish to make in her newly-acquired potjie which she brought round to our house.  I chose to add South African Peppadews – you can use the mild piquanté peppers if the hot ones are too intense – but any fresh chillies will do as well.  This potjie‘s warm, smoky flavours and rich sauce make it perfect for an Autumn meal when the aternoons are getting chillier and guests feel the need for something nourishing and warming.  It’s really not rocket science to make, but the end result is one of the most deeply satisfying things I have ever eaten out of a potjie. Think of it as a big bowl of edible synergy.

Got a taste for potjiekos? You might enjoy my other popular potjiekos recipes:

  • Oxtail and red wine potjie
  • cheesy vegetable potjiekos
  • beef brisket with braai sauce potjie
  • curried vegetable potjie

 

PotjieFinalCollage

CHICKEN, CHORIZO AND PEPPADEW POTJIEKOS / STEW (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2kg bone-in chicken pieces (a combination of thighs & legs is good)
a little oil for frying
flour for coating
3 bell peppers (1 each red, yellow and green), sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
8 hot Peppadews, drained and sliced thinly (or substitute 2 fresh hot chillies)
250g chorizo, sliced
4 large waxy potatoes, chopped (optional)
2 x 410g tins of chopped tomatoes
250g mushrooms, sliced (I used chestnut mushrooms)
2 Tbsp (25ml) smoked paprika
2 Tbsp (25ml) dried thyme leaves
4 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Method:

You can brown the chicken in the potjie, but I usually prefer to brown the chicken in a pan on the stove.  Mix a little flour with salt and pepper and roll each chicken piece in the mixture to coat.  Heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and over medium heat fry each piece, turning until it is browned on all sides.  Use a splatter screen as the chicken pieces are likely to spit a little!  Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.

Once the coals are ready and the pot has been heated up a little, add a splash of oil to the bottom of the pot and fry the onions, garlic and chorizo in it until the chorizo releases some of its lovely red oil.   Add the chicken pieces, potato (if using), bell peppers, Peppadews, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and a good grind of black pepper.  Carefully stir to mix.  Then add the tinned chopped tomatoes together with all their juice – the stew should look a little soupy as the liquid is needed for the cooking process.  if it looks dry, add a little water or chicken stock.

Close the lid tightly and leave to cook for 90 minutes or so, replenishing the coals as necessary and WITHOUT lifting the lid to peek or stir! After 90 minutes, check the meat for doneness and add the mushrooms.  Cook for a further 15 minutes, then check for seasoning and season as necessary.  If the sauce is still too watery, mix a little cornstarch/cornflour with water to make a paste and stir this into the stew.  Serve immediately on fluffy mashed potatoes or rice.  The robust and vaguely Spanish flavours will pair well with a glass of Rioja (yet more synergy!).

To my amazement, given the recent conversations I have had with the organisers about the rules, my entry into the South African Blog Awards 2011 has been accepted.  The public voting phase (which will determine the finalists) is open until 9 November and  this year only ONE vote per person per category is allowed. If you have enjoyed the recipe, writing and photography on Cooksister over the past year, I would hugely appreciate your support in the form of a vote for Cooksister as Best SA Food & Wine Blog or Best SA Photography Blog – simply click on the badge below to cast your vote for me and follow the instructions given. You will have to enter your e-mail address and after you have voted you will receive an email with a confirmation link – you must click this link, otherwise your vote will not be counted, so please do click through.  Thank you for your support!

SA Blog Awards Badge

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  1. Melanie Heavenly says

    November 2, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    Yum! Will definitely be making this this weekend. Voted for you on SA Blog Awards.

    Reply
  2. Kit says

    November 2, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    Can’t vote for you in the food category cos I entered too, but I’ve voted for you in the Photography category! I’m so glad they let you in – it wouldn’t have been the same without Cooksister!
    The Plate to Page weekend sounds fantastic – only wish I could have been there too – not as an Italian fly on the wall either!

    Reply
  3. Denise @ TLT says

    November 2, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    Loved finally meeting you! And loved P2P of course…

    Reply
  4. Colleen says

    November 2, 2011 at 9:38 pm

    What a beautiful fusion of flavours in your potjie! And a glorious colour too. YUM! I definitely want to try that. Very glad that the organizers allowed you to enter. I was ready for a tirade 😉 Been there and voted. Don and your “brother and sister” will also vote. Love you xx

    Reply
  5. Krista says

    November 3, 2011 at 12:29 am

    I love that picture of all of you! You look so happy and it sounds like you had an absolutely splendid time. 🙂 I’m very keen on chicken and sausage together, so I think I’d love this gorgeously rich stew. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Firefly says

    November 3, 2011 at 6:54 am

    This potjie looks lekker. I think its time I do one again.
    I voted for you in the food category as PEDP is in the photography category, but perhaps you can recipicate with a vote for PEDP in the travel category…

    Reply
  7. Sam says

    November 3, 2011 at 8:40 am

    I don’t have a potjie, but I think I may try it in the slow cooker. It should really work out the same, right?
    You have my vote for best blog! Good luck!

    Reply
  8. Rosa says

    November 3, 2011 at 8:52 am

    That dish looks wonderfully comforting and so scrumptious! P2P is something I’d love to experience…
    Will vote for you.
    Cheers,
    Rosa

    Reply
  9. Jamie says

    November 4, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    Oh what a wonderful post… except that like you luscious potjiekos, we are also spicy! It was a truly stunning, amazing weekend and the group was fantastic, the synergy was indeed energizing and inspiring and I can’t wait for the next one… but sad not to see the same 12 wonderful women again and again… and this is the perfect winter dinner. I want.

    Reply
  10. Yasmeen - Wandering Spice says

    November 5, 2011 at 9:04 am

    Looks like a wonderful experience! This stew looks so rich and comforting – even in the hot summer weather we’re having I’m reluctant to let a recipe like this wait for winter!

    Reply
  11. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    November 6, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    What a lovely dish. I am gearing up to clearing some freezer space and filling it with wonderful winter stews and casseroles.
    Exceptionally happy to vote for you too.

    Reply
  12. PinkPolkaDot says

    November 6, 2011 at 4:30 pm

    Wonderful!!!! I voted for you in the photography part of the awards!! Good luck!!

    Reply
  13. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    November 6, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    Although I’ve never met the 4 of you in person I can certainly tell that you have synergy! You make one dynamic team!

    Reply
  14. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    November 7, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    Fantastic looking stew, looks very rustic. Even if it was made in Beckton rather than Tuscany!!

    Reply
  15. Moggy says

    January 7, 2014 at 3:46 pm

    This looks and sounds devine. I’m In the U.S. though, so I was just trying to do some conversions on your measurements so that I would know how much to buy of each ingredient. Do they really sell 140g tins of tomatoes where you live? That would be 5ounce cans for us ~ the smallest can (tin for you) of tomatoes that I’m aware of here are 14.5 ounces. I’m also curious about the chicken, did you use chicken with the bone in, or deboned chicken (the recipe doesn’t specify). I also found it funny that you threw in “2 Tbsp thyme leaves” after all those grams, kgs and ml measurements.

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      January 7, 2014 at 4:33 pm

      Hi Moggy – thanks for stopping by! Glad to hear you’ll be trying the potjiekos recipe – it truly is delicious 🙂 Thanks also for your comments. In answer to your questions:

      – the chicken pieces (legs and thighs as specified) are bone in. I was not aware you could even get deboned drumsticks!
      – the can of tomatoes was a fat-fingered error that you are the first to spot – of course, it’s a 410g tin of tomatoes, not 140g. Aaargh! Apologies. So yes, the 14.5 ounce tins in your case!
      – what can I say – I learnt tablespoons & teaspoons for small measures from my mom as a child, but pounds and ounces are meaningless to me as S Africa was metric by the time I went to school. Now amended to reflect both!

      Thanks again and do tell me how the recipe turns out!

      Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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