Potjiekos

Potjiekos is a beef and vegetable stew cooked slowly in a cast-iron pot over coals. The name is Afrikaans and means "pot food". The dish is shared by South Africa and Namibia, where it is often made outdoors over an open fire.

The pot has three legs so that it can stand in the coals, and the lid is often topped with hot coals so that heat comes from above as well as below. Cooks usually build the stew in layers and leave it to simmer for hours, so the meat turns tender with little stirring.

What it really is

Beef, usually cut into chunks, is browned in the pot first. Onion goes in next, then potato, carrot and tomato, with a bay leaf for flavour. The ingredients are layered rather than stirred, the lid goes on, and the stew simmers slowly until the meat is soft and the vegetables have released their juices into a thick sauce.

Recipes vary from cook to cook. Some add wine or stock, and some thicken the sauce with flour, so the exact flavour and the allergens depend on the pot.

How it's served

• Hot, ladled into bowls or served straight from the pot at the table.
• With rice, bread or pap (maize porridge) to soak up the sauce.
• Often cooked outdoors and shared by a group from one pot.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat, which is beef, and say that it is slow-cooked in a pot.
• List the vegetables, which are potato, carrot, onion and tomato, so guests know what they are eating.
• Flag allergens for the recipe you actually cook: stock cubes may contain celery, wine adds sulphites, and flour thickening adds wheat.
• State the portion by weight and what it is served with, such as rice, bread or pap.