Lockdown Recipe of the Day: EC’s ‘Genoeg va’ als’ liver pot

My son Jason’s godfather and one of my best mates ever, a mild mannered farmer going by the name of Elbe Strydom, made a similar recipe for us on his hunting farm Wildebeestkuil in the Pearston district of the Great Karoo around a raging camp fire one chilly winter’s eve.

I was tasked with feeding a large group of ravenous springbuck hunters and we needed to get something warm and comforting, as a starter, into their bellies before someone keeled over from hunger.

My main meal was going to take a while longer so we needed to come up with something to fill the gap super quick.

I hustled to the meat room and salvaged a nice springbuck liver from the day’s hunt and EC, as I call him, got on the blower and got the basic recipe from a “proper Afrikaner” cook friend of his.

Clearly, this was a man after my own heart, as the recipe was relayed to him over the phone as such:

“Genoeg lewer, Genoeg knoffel, Genoeg uie etc, etc…” (Enough Liver, enough, garlic, enough onion etc , etc)

He calmly prepared it over open coals in a flat bottomed cast iron pot with a glass of good red in his hand under a dozen hungry eyes and a starry Great Karoo sky. It was a smash hit.

Thus, it passed into Wildebeestkuil folklore as “EC’s Genoeg va’ als” liver pot. (Enough of everything) I loved it so much that I tweaked it gently and have added it here as homage to my great mate and his wonderful family. Because a recipe like this just has to be shared.

Ingredients

Serves 6

Genoeg lewer – 500g cleaned, deveined and cubed liver (+- 2cm cubes)

(You can use any liver you want but fresh game liver is always the best)

Genoeg uie – 1 large finely chopped brown onion

Genoeg knoffel – 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Genoeg spek – 150g thick cut bacon rashers, cubed (+- 2cm cubes)

Genoeg tamatie – 300g peeled and roughly chopped tomatoes

3 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs medium curry powder mix

2 Tbs vegetable atchar (optional)

1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

100g feta cheese

100 ml thick cream

 

Method

Heat oil in a heavy based pot or saucepan over medium heat – stove or fire – and add bacon and allow the fat to render for about 2-3 minutes and bacon to crisp, remove bacon and set aside, then add onions, garlic and spices, sweat slowly until translucent, stirring as needed.

Add the liver and brown, stirring everything together nicely. After 2 minutes add the tomatoes and (optional Atchar) and stir. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 6-7 mins, stirring occasionally, as needed.

Crumble the feta cheese into the mixture and stir, so it melts and becomes nice and creamy.

Remove from heat, fold in the cream and add the bacon back. Serve with crispy toast or hot buttered pot brood.

Be sure to save some for breakfast the next day on a toasted slice of home-made bread with a softly fried egg on top. DM/TGIFood

Featured in Karoo Food By Gordon Wright (Penguin)

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