Chicken potjie with herb dumplings

Recipe

Chicken potjie with herb dumplings

Recipe developed for AMC Cookware
Serves 6–8

This recipe is another great one-pot wonder, which we developed for AMC Cookware. It uses basic, everyday ingredients, so it’s a sure family favourite! A potjie is traditionally made outside on the fire, but this one is made inside, in a large pot. This means that you don’t have to wait all day to enjoy a delicious potjie. We made this traditional recipe extra South African by steaming herb and mealie meal dumplings on top of the flavourful sauce. Don’t be concerned by the small amount of liquid in this recipe, the chicken and veggies produce a lovely natural stock in this comforting, winter dish.

Ingredients

Potjie

10-12 chicken portions, preferably drumsticks and thighs

20-30 ml (4 tsp-2 tbsp) olive oil

2 medium onions, cut into wedges

4 carrots, peeled and cut into thick diagonal slices

2 celery stalks with the leaves, cut into thick diagonal slices

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

5 whole cloves

15 ml (1 tbsp) dried thyme

10 ml (2 tsp) dried mixed herbs

30 ml (2 tbsp) cake flour

250 ml (1 cup) chicken or vegetable stock or Rooibos tea

1 bay leaf

250 g button mushrooms, whole or halved

6 baby marrows, cut into thick diagonal slices

finely grated rind and juice of a medium-sized lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Herb dumplings

375 ml (1½ cups) cake flour

100 ml coarse mealie meal

10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder

50 ml cold butter, cubed

1 egg, beaten

20 ml (4 tsp) chopped fresh Italian parsley

20 ml (4 tsp) chopped fresh thyme

125 ml (½ cup) buttermilk or maas

Method

1. Potjie: Heat a large pot over a medium temperature. Brown the chicken portions on both sides. If your pot is at the right temperature, no oil is needed. Take note: the chicken will not be cooked through. Spoon out and set side.
2. Add the oil to the pot and sauté onions, carrots and celery until soft. Add garlic, cloves and dried herbs and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour until no dry flour is visible.
3. Add the stock or tea and bay leaf and bring the mixture to the boil.
4. Add the mushrooms and baby marrows, mix through and spoon the chicken back into the sauce. Cover with the lid and bring to the boil again, reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Stir through once or twice during this time.
5. Dumplings: Prepare the dough just before it is needed. Place the flour, mealie meal and baking powder in a mixing bowl and rub the butter in with your fingertips.
6. Whisk the egg, herbs and buttermilk or maas together in a jug. Add to the flour mixture and cut through with a knife until everything is just mixed together. Mix as little as possible to keep the dumplings fluffy. The dough should not be too stiff (see tip.)
7. Make sure that the stew is simmering gently. Season to taste with lemon rind and juice, salt and pepper.
8. Using a tablespoon, gently shape dough into small balls and place in the sauce, without them touching each other. Cover with the lid and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the dumplings and the chicken are cooked (DON’T lift the lid before 20 minutes has passed). Test a dumpling with a fork, it must break open easily and be cooked through.
9. Serve immediately with a green veggie of your choice like lightly steamed broccoli. There is enough starch in this meal so you don’t need to serve it on rice or mash. 

Tip

1. If the dumplings are prepared with buttermilk and the dough is too stiff, stir in a little extra milk.

Images: Matt van Lill
Client: AMC Cookware