Green Bean Bredie

Green bean bredie, yes a bredie. What is a bredie you ask, it’s a type of stew but it’s a stew that is made with very little liquid with most of the liquid coming from the vegetables that it is cooked with. There are many types of bredie, the most popular being tomato, pumpkin and green bean bredie. My personal favourite is “waterblommetjie” bredie but a tin of waterblommetjies is near impossible to get hold of in South Africa never mind in the south of Spain so green beans are the next best thing.

Bredies are a traditional Cape dish with recipes being passed down from family to family. They are rich stews that are filling and comforting with thick delicious sauces and aromatic flavours. Mutton or lamb is almost exclusively used for bredies because of the rich flavour of the meat. Because of the long cooking times required the vegetables get to mingle with each other and create the distinct sauces that are typical of a good bredie.

My green bean bredie stays traditional with the use of lard instead of oil for frying. I also like adding the green beans and potatoes right in the beginning of the cooking process because it allows for a thicker sauce that pairs perfectly with fluffy white rice to soak it all up…I’m salivating just writing this post!

Green Bean Bredie

(43 votes, average: 4.23 out of 5)
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4.2 from 43 reviews

A traditional South African Cape dish of green bean bredie. Perfect served with fluffy white rice.

• Author: Daryl
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 – 6 servings
• Category: Mains
• Method: Braising
• Cuisine: African

Ingredients

15ml lard

1kg lamb neck and knuckles

1 onion finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs cake flour

1 beef stock cube

2.5ml ground nutmeg

5ml ground black pepper (don’t be shy)

3 whole cloves

2 cups water

3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

500g green beans, rinsed and cut into pieces

½ lemon (optional)

10ml salt

Instructions

Add the lard to a heavy based pot and heat on high for 5 minutes

Coat the meat in the flour and a pinch of salt

Add the meat in batches to the hot pot and brown well

Set aside meat once all browned

Add the chopped onion to the pot and brown for 5 minutes

Add the garlic and stir for an additional 30 seconds

Add the water and stock cube as well as the black pepper, cloves and nutmeg

Season to taste (remember the green beans and potato can take a good amount of salt so use your discretion)

Add the lamb back to the pot and simmer for 1 hour covered on low

After one hour add the beans and potatoes and stir well

Simmer on low for another 1 to 2 hours or until the lamb is very tender and the potatoes are starting to break down

Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes covered. Just before serving add the juice of half a lemon and stir to combine.

Serve with fluffy white rice.

Keywords: Bredie, Green Bean Bredie, Stew, African food, Cape Food, South African Food

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