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A Dutch oven is a thick-walled iron (usually cast iron) cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. It is commonly referred to as a ‘camp oven’ in the Australian bush, a cocotte in French, as a ‘casserole dish’ in British English. In 1704, an Englishman named Abraham Darby decided to go to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch system for making these cooking vessels. Four years later, back in England, he patented a casting procedure similar to the Dutch process and began to produce cast metal cooking vessels for Britain and her new American Colonies. Over time the Dutch oven used in the American Colonies began to change. The pot became shallower and legs were added to hold the oven above the coals. A flange was added to the lid to keep the coals on the lid and out of the food. The potjie is a direct descendent of the Dutch oven.

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Méchoui is an Arabic word meaning “roasted on an open fire” as opposed to oven-roasted. This can apply to a variety of foods, such as vegetables (Salad méchouia, for instance, made with roasted peppers, tomatoes, etc.), but most frequently it refers to a whole lamb spit-roasted outdoors. In Algeria, Méchoui is considered as an appetizer and is traditionally served at the beginning of a feast. It is eaten with the fingers. The host serves himself first, then tears out pieces of the crispy skin and offers them to the guests. He may then dig inside, and offer the kidneys or pieces of filet and ribs to the guests of honour. The Méchoui is very popular on France’s Mediterranean coast where it is the equivalent of the traditional English or American barbecue or the South African braai.

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To barbecue or braai is to cook meat, poultry, game or fish in the open air over hot charcoal. Originally the term meant the cooking of a whole animal over an open fire or in a pit (in France the word for a whole sheep braai or barbecue is le méchoui.). Barbecued meats are usually basted with a highly seasoned sauce during the cooking process, the timing of which is critical.

Potjiekos directly translated from the Afrikaans means pot food, or food prepared in a pot. A potjiekos is traditionally South African and is a full meal prepared in a three-legged cast-iron pot over hot charcoal. A little cooking oil is first placed in the pot, followed first by the meat, then sliced onions and layers of vegetables according to their cooking times – carrots, potatoes, beans, peas, whatever is your fancy. Add stock to about an inch over the top of the vegetables and season. Replace the lid and simmer for 2 or 3 hours or until cooked. Never stir while cooking. Once the potjiekos is cooked you may stir and serve.

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One of the main advantages for a hostess when having a barbecue or braai, as it is called in South Africa, is that it is traditional that the men do the cooking and look after the fire, and the kids often want to help too. Barbecues are popular in the UK, the States, Australia and South Africa, and each has their own style. When choosing a braai or barbecue the most important thing is that it must be adequate in size, and should be larger rather than smaller. A small unit has no variation in heat zones, and heat zones are important. About 50cm diameter or 50cm x 50cm is a suitable size for cooking for 8 people. When starting the fire, make sure that it is downwing from where people are sitting. There’s nothing worse than having thick smoke blowing in your face when trying to cling to an interesting conversation.

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