Oxtail Red Wine Potjie with Frothy Dumpling

Oxtail Red Wine is the perfect combo to have in a hearty stew cooked in the camp oven or potjie. Topping it off with a frothy dumpling is a sure winner!

Ingredients Potjie

• 1kg oxtail rounds
• A good glug of oil
• 3 tablespoons of plain flour with 2 tablespoons of paprika (paprika optional)
•  2 red onions, roughly diced
• 1 leek, chopped
•  2 tablespoons of crushed garlic
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into large pieces
• 1-litre beef stock
• 2 cups red wine (don’t cook with it if you wouldn’t drink it!)
•  3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 bottle of pasta tomato pasta sauce
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• Half a tub of fresh parsley and basil (Gourmet Garden semi-fresh herbs tub)
• Salt, to taste

Frothy Dumpling

• 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast (7-gram sachet)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1.5 cups lukewarm water

STEP 1, 2 AND 3 SHOULD BE DONE OVER VERY HOT COALS, I HANG MY POT OVER THE FIRE ON A HOOK AND ENSURE ITS LOW AND CLOSE TO THE COALS/FLAMES!!

Step One

Heat up the potjie pot over the fire to get it hot enough so that the meat sizzles when placed in the pot. Put a good glug of oil in the pot and get it NICE AND HOT!!!

Step Two

Place flour and paprika in a big enough bag to hold the meat and put the meat in the bag. Give it a good shake to coat the meat with the flour. Brown the Oxtail in batches turning to ensure most sides of the meat are brown, the browner the better, it adds a deliciously sweet flavour to the dish.

Step Three

Once all meat is brown, place back in the pot. Add onions, leeks, garlic 3/4 of the fresh herbs and the diced sweet potato. Give it a good ol’ stir to ensure it’s all coated with the oil and the garlic and herbs. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step Four

Add 3/4 of the beef stock, a bottle of passata pasta sauce, tomato paste, red wine and balsamic vinegar. Add salt to taste and give it a really good stir to ensure everything is mixed well enough. Reduce heat by moving some coals to the side of the fire and hanging high above the fire to cook low and slow. Cook potjie for at least 3-4 hours; the longer, the better. Stirring occasionally to ensure it’s not sticking to the bottom or sides of the pot.

Frothy Dumpling Directions

Step One

Make the frothy dumpling, put dry ingredients together in a deep bowl. Add the egg and lukewarm water and mix well for about 5 minutes till it forms a very soft sticky dough. It looks rather like a thick batter than a dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place next to the fire for 2 hours. It’s important that the mixture stays warm but not too hot.

Step Two
Half an hour before the potjie is ready, add the remaining fresh herbs and scoop the frothy soft mixture on top of the stew and quickly stroke it to spread evenly.

Shut the lid and DO NOT LIFT IT FOR 30 MINUTES (if you do it will implode and just be a sticky mess)
Pour yourself a glass of the remaining wine and…OMG enjoy the best potjie and dumpling you have EVER tasted!!

Recipe Notes:

1) I premix all the dry ingredients for the dumpling, except the yeast, in a ziplock bag at home. That way I can just chuck it in the bowl and add the yeast, egg and water.
2) I also pre-chop the onion, leek and sweet potato and put them in a ziplock bag with the garlic and herbs – ease of adding!!
3) No need to cook rice or anything else with this meal, it’s a one pot wonder.

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