Jaco Brands’ Waterblommetjie Bredie
Forager Jaco Brand harvested the waterblommetjies used in this recipe off his neighbour’s dam. Jaco is owner and chef at Picardi Place, a guest house and venue near Rawsonville in the Western Cape. Waterblommetjies grow in abundance in the Cape and is also known as Cape pondweed, Cape water onion and Cape asparagus.
Ingredients
30 ml (2 tbsp) oil
3 large onions
1 kg lamb rib, sliced
1 kg lamb shanks, sliced
200 ml Worchestershire sauce
Braaivleis spice to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
500 ml boiling water
500 ml Chenin Blanc wine
1 kg waterblommetjies
8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 lemons
10 cups cooked Spekko Saman White Rice
1 lime, juiced and zested
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté until soft. Remove and set aside.
2. Brown the meat in batches in the same pot.
3. Return all the meat to the pot, then add the Worchestershire sauce, braaivleis spice, salt and pepper.
4. Add water and wine, and then return the onions to the pot. Cover and simmer slowly for about an hour.
5. Add the waterblommetjie and potatoes to the pot. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the pot. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are done.
6. Lightly “mash” the potatoes to form a thick sauce.
7. Stir the lime zest and juice into the warm Spekko Saman Rice.
8. Serve the bredie on top of the rice and garnish with extra lemon slices.