Oxtail with Dumplings Potjie

Potjie No: 3
Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 4.5 hours

Ingredients
1 oxtail (jointed)
15 ml cooking oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 5 ml dried
1 sprig parsley or 5 ml dried
500 ml beef stock
30 ml vinegar or lemon juice
10 ml salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 leeks (cut into chunks)
2 stalks leafy celery (cut into pieces)
6 baby carrots (scrubbed)
250 ml green peas (fresh or frozen)

Dumplings
250 ml cake flour
5 ml baking powder
2 ml salt
60 g butter
Cold water or soda water to mix dough

Method
Heat oil and brown oxtail.
Add onion and garlic and saute until golden brown.
Add bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, hot stock and vinegar or lemon juice.
Season meat with salt and pepper.
Cover with lid and simmer for 3-4 hours or until meat is tender.
Layer vegetables on top of meat, starting with leeks and celery, then carrots and peas.
Add more stock if necessary.
For the dumplings, sift dry ingredients together and rub in butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add enough cold water or soda water to make a soft dough.
Place spoonfuls of dough on top of meat and vegetables.
Replace lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
Don’t lift the lid or the dumplings will collapse.