Janice Tripepi

This is the recipe that I was going to post on Friday – Pot au Feu.  It was to have been in honour  of the French football team.  What a bunch of “prima donna’s” they are hey!!!  First Anelka flies off in a huff and today, if the billboards are to be believed – they are playing with idea of boycotting the GAME!!!  HAIBO ……. ngiyazi sola!!!!   Vous est vraimant mechants!!!!  Ruk julle reg meisies!!!!  They seem to well and truly have their french nickers in a french knot!!!!!  I would imagine that something is seriously wrong between management and players.  My son has played rugby professionally in Italy and let me tell you , the POLITICS involved is incredible.  You need to have madumbi’s of teflon …. strong and slippery!!! No sh1t can stick to!!

I am feeling them butterflies at the moment!!!  Today our beloved BAFANA BOYS “IIIIIIIII lililililililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ……. that’s ”moi” ululating for our boys – they take on the French!!!  Well, i hope our boys get the divine intervention that the dear Bishop Desmond Tutu   has been on his knees praying the bejeevers out of himself, for.  Bishop my man – from YOUR mouth to God’s ears.   At the end of the day – and this is a lesson that we parents DRUM into our children  - it’s not about the winning or the losing – it’s about HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME.  Bafana Boys – hold your heads up high, rise to meet this occassion, put your best foot forward AND STOMP ALL OVER THEM LIKE A HERD OF AFRICAN ELEPHANTS!!!!! GO BAFANNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAA GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ……..

POT AU FEU

This literally means – a pot on the fire!  Quite appropriate when I think of the French

Football team at the moment.  This is the ultimate peasant dish – it yields

a hearty winter meal AND a broth that you would sell your sister for!!!

Ingredients

1,5 – 2kg piece of beef (shoulder or brisket or any nice sweet cut)

2 onions – whole, unpeeled and studded with cloves

4 nice chunky large leeks remove the tops and tails and make sure that there is no grit in them

6 – 8 nice big carrots whole and peeled

2 whole sticks of celery

4 big turnips topped and tailed

1 head of garlic – cut in half

8 – 10 medium pototoes peeled but left whole

a bouquet garni – i made mine with parsley, rosemary, bay leaf and thyme

whole black peppercorns

In a heavy bottomed big pot – place your beef and put enough cold water in to cover the whole

piece of meat.

Add a good dessert spoon of salt.

Bring the pot to the boil and skim off the impurities that leach out of the meat using a slotted spoon.

You must now add about a cup of cold water – which will lower to water temperature.

Bring it up to the boil again – and skim again using the above method.

The more you do this – the clearer your broth will be. 

I am a bit lazy – I only did this three times!!!!

Now you add all of the other ingredients, except the pototoes and bring the whole pot to the boil.

Allow to boil for about 20 minutes and then reduce to a slow simmer for at least 4 hours –

the longer and slower the better!!!  This is an ideal weekend dish –

put it on the stove – go outside and weed the garden – cut back the hedge and paint the house!!

About 45 minutes to an hour before you wish to serve the dish – pop back inside and add

the potatoes whole.  Don’t increase the heat – let the potatoes cook slowly slowly – you

will enjoy the texture this gives.  The potatoes remain whole and suck in loads of flavour from the

stock.  Go back out side and build a swimming pool!!! hehehe …

When you come back in – the meat will be so tender that it kind of fall apart when you

cut it into – about 2cm slices.  The veggies are all plump and juicey and cooked.

Place in a serving dish and set aside.

You now need to remove all the veggies to another dish and strain the broth.

I place one sieve inside another and pour the liquid through – this removes the bouquet garni and

other bits that you wont serve.

Put the pot back on to the stove and bring to the boil and reduce slightly

to condense all the flavours.

You are left with nectar from the Gods.  Truly ambrosia!!!

This dish is served two ways – the Italians, who call this “Lesso” would serve it

with Picallili or Mustard and the French serve it will salt flakes, cournichons and dijon

mustard.

Eithe which way it’s delish and goes a long way.

You have two meals in one – and it’s so basic and earthy that everyone loves it!!!

Buon appetito!!!

xxx

jan