Mid week chicken potjie

On Wednesday evenings we usually invite my old bike rally/drinking buddy around for dinner and this time I felt like doing the cooking so I decided on an old favourite; chicken potjie.

It didn't take us long to get stuck in to the important stuff, it's a good opportunity for us to discuss upcoming rides although Frank is not going to the Buffalo Rally this year.

I like to get all of my ingredients prepared so that I don't have to keep running back and forward to the kitchen, clockwise from top left; potatoes peeled and chopped, mushrooms halved, the chicken portions (I used one whole chicken plus four extra thigh portions), bacon bits, broccoli and cauliflower and the last bowl has chopped onions, green peppers and celery.

I heated some cooking oil in the pot and prepared the chicken, I sprinkled the soup powder, some Aromat and a good dash of mixed herbs over it and made sure it was all well covered.
This helps to make a lovely tasty gravy, I set that aside and then fried the bacon bits in the cooking oil.
When they were just browned I scooped them out and then fried up the onion/green pepper mix in the lovely bacon flavoured oil and when that was all nicely sweated down I put the bacon back in.
Then it was time for the chicken, over a good hot flame I browned the chicken, stirring it continuosly for about ten minutes and then poured in a whole beer;
If you try this recipe and you don't use a Castle lager then I will not be held responsible if your pot doesn't work! At this point I added the potatoes and turned the heat right down to allow the pot to simmer for half an hour.

This is actually one of the quickest and easiest pots to make, I checked to see that the potatoes were feeling soft and then added the mushrooms and the vegetables, gave the whole lot a stir and left it to simmer for another fifteen minutes. I added salt and pepper to taste.

Just before serving time I stirred in about 100ml of fresh cream, turned the heat off and allowed it to sit for ten minutes.
That's it, easy - Janet made up some nice brown rice to go with it. It was rather good even if I do say so myself and what's nice about making a big pot full of food like this is the left-overs!
Janet says she's going to eat left-over chicken potjie this weekend while I'm at the rally, tomorrow morning early I'm packing the big red machine and heading off on a nice long ride to Mosselbay, I'll tell you all about it - can't wait!