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Waterblommetjie bredie
Lamb and water hawthorn stew
Waterblommetjiebredie: Cape winter lamb stew with water hawthorn flower buds and sorrel
Between June and September, farm stalls along the roads out of Paarl and Stellenbosch sell bags of waterblommetjies, the flower buds of a pondweed that grows in Western Cape vleis, and that is the cue to make this bredie. The buds taste like a cross between green beans and artichoke, and they turn silky as they stew with lamb, potatoes and a little sorrel that gives the gravy a lemony edge. Buy them fresh in season from a greengrocer or farm stall, or use tinned or bottled ones from South African shops; never pick them from dams yourself. Out of the Cape, a mix of green beans and artichoke hearts gives a surprisingly close result. Serve over white rice. Chef's tip: add the waterblommetjies only for the last half hour; stirred in at the start they disappear into a slippery mush.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb lamb neck or rib chopsbone in, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoespeeled and cut into chunks
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
The greens
- 1 ⅛ lb waterblommetjiesfresh in season, or about 800 g tinned/bottled, drained; or use 300 g green beans plus a 280 g jar of artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- 1 oz sorrel leavesshop-bought garden sorrel, shredded; or 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp salt for soaking
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: If using fresh 1 ⅛ lb waterblommetjies, trim the tough stalk ends and soak them in a big bowl of cold water with 1 tbsp salt for soaking, so grit and any tiny creatures float out. Rinse well and drain. Tinned or bottled ones only need draining.
30 minStep 2: Season 2 ⅝ lb lamb neck or rib chops with half of ¾ tsp salt. Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the lamb in batches until well coloured on all sides; lift it out.
10 minStep 3: Turn the heat to medium, add 2 onions and cook until soft and pale gold.
8 minStep 4: Stir in 2 cloves garlic and 4 allspice berries for 1 minute, then return the lamb with 1 cup hot water and scrape up the browned bits from the base.
1 minStep 5: Cover and simmer over a low heat until the lamb is starting to soften, stirring now and then.
60 minStep 6: Add 1 ⅛ lb potatoes, the rest of ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground white pepper and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are half cooked.
15 minStep 7: Lay the waterblommetjies (or the green beans and artichoke hearts) over the top, cover, and steam-simmer without stirring until the buds are tender and silky and the potatoes are soft. Tinned buds need only 10 minutes.
25 minStep 8: Scatter 1 oz sorrel leaves over the stew, fold everything together once, gently, and cook for 5 more minutes, until the sorrel wilts and the gravy turns slightly tart. Taste for salt and serve.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does waterblommetjie bredie take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 125 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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