daniel chigunwe
Stan Higgins
If you’ve never enjoyed the delights of a meal cooked in a ‘potjie’ then you’re missing out on a special treat.
I had the pleasure of being one of the three judges of a potjie competition in Harare this past weekend and it was thrilling to see the range of meals prepared in this simple but effective traditional method of slow-cooking what is usually meat-based content.
The competition was a fundraiser for Veterinarians for Animal Welfare and it was the third of what is now an annual event, this year attracting nine teams, two of whom entered two pots, thus making a total 11 entries.
A potjie is a heavy-metal, three-legged pot that is placed over a fire to cook food that usually has a meat base and into which are placed a range of vegetables, spices, herbs, sauces and other inputs to enhance the meal.
For many, this is the ultimate in food and often the key ingredient is the kind of meat that deserves slow cooking, such as oxtail or shin beef.
Traditionally it is for venison, beef or lamb meats, rarely for pork, chicken or seafood. However, this year we judges decided innovation was a feature and we would not discount entries that went beyond the traditions of the style.
Teams came to the venue, Borrowdale Country Club, early in the morning and most pots were on the go from mid-morning to the close-off of 3pm, at which time judging took place.
My fellow judges were restaurateurs Lesley Orford of Alo Alo in Mount Pleasant and Anotnio’s chain owner Ant Behrens.
The winning team, Kocky Koalas, came second last year, but – learning from their inaugural participation – gave extra effort this year and it paid off with a winning entry that was a Moroccan-themed dish filled with spiced flavours and accompanied by cous cous- and, as a bonus, a Morcoccan iced tea. Their preparation, presentation and taste outcome were excellent and they earned top place with a mix of stylish food and earnest effort.
All the dishes this year were enjoyable, and after judging members of the public were able to source either sadza or rice from the host table and then go around to sample from each of the entrants’ pots.
As a judge it is rewarding to see support for charity as well as what seemed genuine enjoyment of a food event based on a long-cherished tradition of cooking.
The winning team was made up of young people but within the teams were a range of ages, and I liked the willingness among everyone to go for all-out enjoyment and experimentation.
Readers, when you hear of next year’s event, I urge you to go along and sample some brilliant examples of home-style cooking at its best.
The outcome should always be content that is cooked to perfection, and this year’s entries were without exception well-prepared and well-cooked.
Most entries were a balance of tender key content and flavoursome sauces that tingled the taste buds. There was a mix of oxtail, beef, lamb, chicken and vegetable dishes. One, from second-placed Zimbos, featured a superb mutton bunny chow.
Some of the hosts went the extra mile by adding to the fire flavour-giving wood or leaf that enhanced the cooking ingredients with a smoked or semi-smoked input.
In this age of electrical shortages, it is perhaps good to have the skill associated with potjie cooking, since all the inputs can be prepared by way of the fire, even the starch accompaniments such as sadza, rice or mashed potatoes.
I’d recommend readers give it a go, especially as pot cooking is very much a traditional style for most Zimbabweans. I’d love to hear if any of you are experts or enthusiasts in this field and about what dishes you come up with – with photos! I can’t wait for next year’s competition.
Here’s the list of entries from the 2023 VAWZ potjie competition, which raised a reasonable amount for the excellent animal welfare work being done by this remarkable organisation:
1. Kocky Koalas – Koala Meats
2. Zimbos 2 – Bruff family
3. Smokey Joe – Joe Traill
4. Zimbos 1 – Bruff family
5. Home Cooked 2 – Home Cooked Meals
6. Team Jeep – Lynn Collins
7. Home Cooked 1 – Home Cooked Meals
8. Mutt n Jeff – Mike Robinson
9. Triple B – Sean Gammon
10. Flat Dogs – Aqua and Brett
11. Wonky Donkey – Laura, Jeremy and Kim
Online Reporter