Fish Potjie

Description

Potjiekos - cooking food in a three-legged cast-iron pot suspended over the coals - has been a South African tradition since the days when travellers ventured into the unexplored interior of the country. Game was plentiful when the Voortrekkers and the transport riders travelled the country in their ox wagons, and venison was extensively used. Because of the current popularity of this cooking method, however, all kinds of food are now used to make potjiekos. Seafood makes a delectable potjie, but this combination of white fish and seafood is much more economical and just as tasty.

Ingredients

• 10 ml sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, seeded and sliced or 1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
• 2 tuna steaks, trimmed
• 500 g hake or kingklip, filleted and cut into portions
• 24 - 36 mussels, cleaned
• 5 ml salt
• 5 ml chopped fresh oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 ml lemon juice
• 30 ml tomato paste
• 125 ml beer or dry white wine

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a cast-iron pot and sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is transparent.
2. Add the green peppers or chilli, tuna, hake or kingklip and mussels, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Simmer over the coals for 30 – 45 minutes, or until the fish is tender.
4. Serve immediately with pot bread or cooked brown rice.