Oxtail and Prawn Potjie

Total Time: 2.5 hours

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Servings: 6+ people

Suitable For: Foodies with a big appetite

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Our oxtail and prawn potjie is not for the faint-hearted! This full-flavoured, hearty oxtail recipe is designed for those who know how to appreciate a stew with gusto! Be prepared to fall in love with one of South Africa’s best.

Ingredients

2.5 kg oxtail, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns, coarsely ground
3 garlic cloves
50ml olive oil
80 g butter
8 bay leaves
2 red onions, peeled and quartered
200 ml Old Brown Sherry

SAUCE

100 g butter
1 teaspoon pepper, coarsely ground
3 garlic cloves
600 ml Old Brown Sherry
1.5 litre canned tomato
2.5 litre water
1 kg king prawns, shells and head intact and veins removed
handful of fresh parsley

Instructions

OXTAIL

Season oxtail with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic.
In the potjie, add olive oil, onions, butter and bay leaves.
Sauté until onions cook clear.
Add the seasoned oxtail and 200ml sherry.
Simmer on your braai on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring the meat every five minutes (until the meat reaches a rich dark brown colour).

SAUCE

Add butter, pepper, garlic, 200 ml sherry, canned tomatoes, salt, green beans, carrots and baby potatoes.
Add water as needed, to ensure all the ingredients are covered in sauce.
Stir.
Bring the oxtail to the boil, then lower the heat to make sure the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom of the enamel pot.
Cook for 3.5 hours, adding more water if necessary, to keep the sauce at a pouring consistency.
At the 2-hour mark, add the final 200 ml sherry and stir.
After 3.5 hours add the prawns to the top of the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Finish it off with freshly chopped parsley.
Serve with samp and beans, and your favourite bread to mop up the sauce.