Passport & Plate - Vegetarian Potjiekos
South Africa | Thursday, January 29, 2015 | 1 photos
Ingredients
3 – 4 onions roughly chopped
8 – 12 garlic cloves, either chopped or smashed
2 bay leaves
Oregano, basil or any other dried herb that you like
Salt & Pepper
White wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar or port wine or regular wine or juice – just something acidic and liquid)
Mustard for that little hit of fire
Coconut oil
3 – 4 red potatoes
3 white potatoes
1 parsnip
1 – 2 large carrots
4 Japanese sweet potatoes
½ medium sized butternut squash
4 -5 large Portobello mushrooms
4 – 5 small very ripe tomatoes
A few fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, basil.
1 large yellow zucchini
1 large green zucchini
1 ear of corn
1 – 2 small heads of broccoli
1 -2 small heads of broccoli rabe or cauliflower or purple broccoli
1 bunch of spinach
A few baby corns
How to prepare this recipe3 – 4 onions roughly chopped
8 – 12 garlic cloves, either chopped or smashed
2 bay leaves
Oregano, basil or any other dried herb that you like
Salt & Pepper
White wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar or port wine or regular wine or juice – just something acidic and liquid)
Mustard for that little hit of fire
Vegetable oil
2 – 4 tbsp butter
Combine all the ingredients above, in your dutch oven, and cook until the onions are wilted and slightly jammy in consistency. Transfer almost all of this mixture into a bowl, allowing a thin film of oil and onions to remain at the bottom of the pot.
Take your pot off the heat.
Roughly peel and chop
3 – 4 red potatoes
3 white potatoes
1 parsnip
1 – 2 large carrots
They should cover the bottom of the pot. Mix them with the left over oil and onion coating the pot.
Roughly peel and chop
4 Japanese sweet potatoes
½ medium sized butternut squash
and layer on top of the potato mixture. You should almost cover it. Spoon a bit of the onion mixture over this.
Roughly chop
4 -5 large Portobello mushrooms
4 – 5 small very ripe tomatoes
and layer on top of the butternut mixture. You should almost cover it. Spoon a bit of the onion mixture over this. You could also layer a few fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, basil – here as well.
Roughly chop
1 large yellow zucchini
1 large green zucchini
and shuck and slice
1 ear of corn
and layer on top of the mushroom mixture. Spoon over your onion mixture again.
Roughly chop
1 – 2 small heads of broccoli
1 -2 small heads of broccoli rabe or cauliflower or purple broccoli
1 bunch of spinach
A few baby corns
And layer on top.
Your dutch oven should be full now. If its not, add more vegetables as you see fit. DON’T mix the layers.
Spoon over the last of your onion mixture.
Either make a vegetable broth with an organic broth cube, or use plain water, add enough water to come about 1/4th of the way up the pot.
Cover. Do not stir whatever you do! Check only occasionally as you cook this over a lowish to medium heat for an hour or more. You will know when its ready. Everything will have steamed, lightly. All the vegetables retain their individuality, but the gorgeous elixir which has been created by their mingled cooking steam will unify the dish. It is truly a case of the sum being more than the parts. Check for salt and pepper.
To make this look “presentable” and party perfect, sprinkle a few breadcrumbs and over the top for the last five minutes. Pop into a hot oven, with the broiler on. Alternatively, chop up a few bright green asparagus or some broccoli, and put on top in the last 5 minutes.
The story behind this recipeI was assiting the world environmental summit in the summer of 2014 and the hosts made up this recipe for about 70 of us. It was terrific to eat and tzste the country.
