Ostrich Potjie

Ingredients

1.5 kg ostrich neck slices
30 ml cooking oil
4 leeks, sliced
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
5 ml dried or 1 sprig fresh rosemary
250 g brown mushrooms, sliced
30 ml boiled green peppercorns, bruised
75 ml brandy
50 ml dry sherry
375 ml dry red wine or 1/2 red wine 1/2 chicken stock
30 ml lemon juice
15 fresh pickling onions, peeled
10 small whole carrots
8 small, peeled potatoes or unpeeled new potatoes scrubbed clean
1 x 300 g packet creamed spinach and mushrooms, thawed. (Can be replaced with 250 g cooked, chopped and flavoured spinach mixed with 125 ml sour cream. Flavour the spinach with some of the folowing: bacon, ham, cheese, nutmeg and lemon juice)
15 ml cake flour
a little milk
pinch nutmeg
salt to taste

Method

Heat the oil in the pot and brown the meat a little at a time.
Remove and set aside.
Fry the leeks, garlic, rosemary, mushrooms and peppercorns in the same pot.
Return the meat to the pot.
Heat the brandy slightly, pour over the meat, and ignite.
Add the heated sherry, red wine and lemon juice once the flames have died down.
Cover with the lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or till the meat is almost tender.
Layer the vegetables, except the spinach, on top of the meat, cover, and simmer for a further 45 to 50 minutes.
Mix the spinach mixture with a paste of cake flour and milk and spoon carefully over the food in the pot.
Season with nutmeg and salt, cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.