Lamb Bredie

Bredie is a traditional South African stew, and this cabbage version layers browned lamb pieces with six cups of coarsely chopped cabbage, carrots, green chiles, and warm spices, then simmers hands-off for over an hour. The “do not stir” instruction is key to how this dish works.

Browning the deboned lamb pieces in the same pot where the onions and garlic just softened means every fond scrap from both stages stays in the pot. That browned layer on the bottom dissolves during the long simmer and enriches the stew’s sauce without needing added stock or broth.

The vegetables go in raw on top of the browned lamb. Cabbage, carrots, green chiles, a cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. No liquid is added because the cabbage releases enough water during cooking to create its own braising liquid. This is why you don’t stir. Stirring breaks the cabbage down too quickly and floods the pot before the lamb has time to braise properly.

After 75 minutes of covered simmering, the cabbage has melted into the lamb, the carrots are tender, and the cinnamon and cloves have perfumed everything with warm, Cape Malay-influenced spice. Skimming the fat at the end cleans up the sauce.

Chef Tips

• Resist the urge to stir. The cabbage steams on top and releases moisture gradually. Stirring collapses it and creates too much liquid too fast.
• Use bone-in lamb if possible. The bones add body and richness to the braising liquid.
• Add water only if the pot looks dry during the simmer. Most of the time the cabbage provides enough.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and whole cloves before serving. Biting into a whole clove is an unpleasant surprise.

Variations

• Tomato bredie: Replace the cabbage with 2 pounds of chopped fresh tomatoes for the more common South African tomato version.
• Waterblommetjie bredie: If you can source water lily buds (waterblommetjies), use them for the most traditional Cape variety.