Lamb knuckle pot

Sunday was just as good, I don't know about you but I am really happy when I have my friends around me and we are entertaining. I love cooking, mostly outside but I will happily prepare a meal in the kitchen as well and Janet and I make a pretty good team.

Frank arrived at about 1100, I had told him to come early for lunch so that our friends could get on the road to Capetown at a reasonable time, I was preparing a lamb knuckle potjie and if you have been reading this you may remember the word is pronounced "Poy-key" and it refers to the pot in which the food is prepared. Usually, and traditionally, the pot is cooked over an open fire but for convenience I do it over a gas cooker.

First I heated the pot up over the gas flame and then in a little cooking oil I browned the meat, once the meat was nicely browned I removed it from the pot and set it aside. I then added a little more oil and fried up a mixture of chopped onions, green pepper and celery with a good tablespoon of crushed garlic.

While this was going on I sprinkled the meat with a packet of spicy tomato soup powder, a good shake of Aromat and an equally good shake of mixed herbs.

Once the onions and peppers were fried I put the meat back into the pot and stirred it around to mix it all up, then I poured in one Castle lager - do not try using any other beer unless you do not live in South Africa, in which case you will have to try your own favourite. Add a good "cone" of salt from the palm of your hand, close the lid and let it simmer for about half an hour. Open another Castle lager and drink it.

Add some chopped potatoes and butternut, settle them into the mix, taste the gravy to see if it needs anything, I added a glass of dry red wine at this stage - open another Castle lager and drink it.After you have checked the potatoes to see that they are getting soft you can now add any other vegetables, I added a tin of butter beans, some button mushrooms, cauliflower and sweetcorn mielies and let that all simmer for the final half hour - open another Castle lager and drink it.

I gotta tell you that was one hell of a good pot, we served it on savoury rice and it went down really well. I don't have any other photos to show you because by then I had had quite a few beers and by the time Frank went home - long after the others had left for Capetown, I was well on the way.

What a good weekend!

Remember that the 5th and 6th of September is the Polar bear run to Sutherland, the coldest place in South Africa and we have managed to get Dick and Janet onto it as well. That's going to be a good one, it was good last year apart from Dave's prang and it should be even better this time, keep reading.