Discovering The Irish Potato Hot Pot

Hey mangeurs,

This is our first episode of  TWEAK THAT RECIPE!!!

Ever been super hungry and wanted something quick? Something quick but also tasty of course. Something tasty but outside the ordinary and I am not referring to noodles or some "fast food snack". This Camerounian dish from my childhood is all you need guys!

Photo: From Precious Cares

Irish Potato Hot Pot is a type of pottage typically prepared in Cameroun. My mum used to make this for my siblings and I when we were much younger. At age 13, I had my first cooking attempt at it; everyone at home cleared their plates. I had been very observant of my mum's tricks and decided to add my own 'Spice'.


Here is my recipe for this quick meal (Three persons);
- 1/2 Kg of Irish Potatoes (This usually costs about N500 in Lagos)
- 1 medium-sized onion (sliced)
- Chopped pepper and tomatoes
- Dry powder pepper (preferably Cameroun pepper)
- Seasoning to taste
- Salt to taste
- Garlic and Ginger (optional)
- Ground crayfish
- Shredded beef and chicken
- Cow skin (ponmo or canda) cut in small pieces
- Little quantity of palm oil and vegetable oil
- Beef or Chicken broth
- 1 ripe plantain (optional)
- Chopped carrots and runner beans
- Scent leaves (sliced) optional


Follow these steps;
- Clean and cut your potatoes and plantain in small pieces

- Put the cut up potatoes and plantain in a pot with water just above the pieces and cook
- Add little salt, seasoning, garlic and ginger, chicken broth and Cameroun pepper and allow to boil till the potatoes are reasonably soft
- In another pot or pan, pour the oils and let them heat shortly
- Add the sliced onions and chop pepper and stir, season to taste as well
- After the pepper is well fried, add in the ponmo, beef and chicken

- Let it fry together and turn the stew like mixture in the boiled potatoes and plantain
- Stir till the sauce is well integrated with the potatoes (do this without too much mashing)
- Allow to steam for about 5 minutes and then add the carrots, runner beans and scent leaves.
- Stir and turn off the heat to prevent the veggies from losing their pigments.

 
All other photos: Victorine 2018

DID YOU KNOW???
Irish potato can be a life saver in the kitchen - Have you ever put too much salt in food? Not to worry, just peel a couple of Irish potatoes and throw them into the pot on fire. Allow to boil for some minutes and take out the potatoes. They would have absorbed a good amount of the excess salt.