Spicy seafood potjie

Ingredients:

• One and half onion large, sliced
• Four bay leaves
• Two red chillies, chopped
• Eight garlic cloves, sliced
• Four tinned tomatoes, chopped
• Two sun-dried tomatoes, marinated in vinaigrette, chopped
• One cup of water
• Two teaspoons of dried chilli flakes
• Two heaped teaspoons of sugar
• One teaspoon of fish sauce
• Salt to taste
• Four fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 2kg of mussels, cleaned
• 500g of kingklip, cubed
• 750g calamari
• One lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method:

For the tomato base:

• Heat the potjie on the braai or over a flame or a large cast iron pot on the stove on medium heat.
• Add 45ml of oil and the onions.
• Fry for a few minutes, stirring.
• Add bay leaves and chopped chillies.
• When onions have softened, add the pureed canned tomato and sundried tomatoes.
• Cook, stirring for a few minutes, watching out for splattering- the sauce will start to thicken.
• Add water, sugar, chilli flakes, fish sauce and salt.
• Cook for 10 minutes, lowering the heat and allowing the flavours to develop.
• Add the parsley.
• The sauce will continue to deepen in flavour as it cools.
• Store in a cool place once cooled, if using the next day. If not, proceed with seafood.

Seafood: 

• Place potjie back on braai (or pot on stove). Taste and re-season, if you prefer.
• Discard all mussels that do not open. You can tap them gently and give them a few minutes- some may open yet.
• Add mussels and kingklip to the sauce. Allow to cook on medium-low heat for seven to eight minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
• In the mean while, dry the calamari on kitchen paper towels. Pan fry in a non stick pan, on high, with a tablespoon or two of olive oil until brown on both sides. Should take 30 seconds per side. Remove and add to potjie.
• Mix all the seafood through the sauce gently and season one last time.
• Serve with lemon wedges, more parsley and slices of crusty bread.

This recipe is courtesy of the Granny Mouse Country House and Spa.