Equipment

How to break in your pot

To prepare a potjie for cooking the following steps are recommended:

1. Wash inside thoroughly with boiling water and a scouring pad (or sandpaper) and dry over heat.
2. Coat the inside with cooking oil and heat until the oil begins to smoke.
3. Using a paper towel, wipe the inside clean. Repeat until the towel wipes clean.

The pot is now ready for use. The more you use it the better it becomes. After each use wash, dry and coat the inside with oil. Store with the lid off in a dry place with absorbent paper crumpled up in a ball inside the pot.

For wax-coated potjies such as Cadac, try the following:

1. Start a fire.
2. Put the pot upside down on a grid and let the flames burn away the paraffin coating inside the pot.
3. Do the same with the lid.
4. After 45 minutes, rinse out with water and the pot is ready for cooking.