For many South Africans polony has long been a food of choice, particularly when it comes to lunch box ideas. Not only is this cold meat affordable but it is considered a convenient and versatile ready-to-eat source of protein.
Many varieties of polony products are available in South Africa and in many parts of the African continent.
They include chicken, beef, garlic, and lamb. Polony falls in the class of convenient foods because it is already cooked and requires no further preparation in order to eat. It can be eaten on its own, sliced and placed on a sandwich, or even assembled in salads.
Despite past health concerns, polony remains a popular choice for many South African households, especially for children's lunches, and making your own at home offers a delightful culinary adventure where you have full control over ingredients, flavours and textures, resulting in a delicious product perfectly suited to your taste buds.
After Simbarashe Kamota, a recipe developer, food content creator and the founder of The Cook Central, recently posted a recipe video showing how to make polony at home, many foodies were surprised and impressed to learn that they could make their own chicken polony at home.
@thecookcentral Homemade Polony Recipe 6 chicken thighs 3 carrots (roughly cut) 6 cloves roasted garlic 1/2 large onion (roughly cut) 1 stalk of celery 2 tsp black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 3 satchets of gelatin 2 tablespoons cajun(or any spice of choice) Salt to taste 1) Place the thighs in the pot along with the carrots, celery, onions, black peppercorns Bayleaf ,Cajun spice and salt, and pour in some water just to cover the chicken. -Bring to a slow simmer until chicken is fully cooked 2) Once the chicken is cooked, removed from the water and shredded into smaller pieces, removing all the bones. Do not discard the chicken broth. 3. take 2 cups of the chicken broth and skim off the fat. Then mix the gelatin with the broth making sure you whisk until it dissolves(read instructions on the gelatin) 4. Now put the liquid, shredded chicken and the roasted garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning 5. Add some beetroot juice for color. Pour the mix in your mould and put in the fridge to set. It will take about 6 hours! #homemadefood #polony #chickenpolony #zimbabwe #southafrica #botswana ♬ original sound - TheCookCentral
One user wrote: “Guys this is how you make polony I’m shook and impressed. Also, what does gelatine do?”
A second user wrote: “This content I want in 2024. I'm not consuming unknown GMOs.”
A third commented: “I dig this, knowing how these processed foods are made allows us to make healthier and preservative-free versions.” While a fourth wrote: “Wow. I never knew it was this easy to make polony.”
Courtesy of The Cook Central, here is how you can make homemade polony.
Ingredients
6 chicken thighs
3 carrots (roughly cut)
1 stalk of celery
½ large onion (roughly cut)
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp cajun (or any spice of choice)
Salt to taste
3 sachets of gelatin
6 cloves roasted garlic
Beetroot juice, for colour
Method
Place the thighs in the pot along with the carrots, celery, onions, black peppercorns, bay leaf, cajun spice, and salt, and pour in some water just to cover the chicken.
Bring to a slow simmer until chicken is fully cooked
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the water and shred it into smaller pieces, removing all the bones. Do not discard the chicken broth.
Take two cups of the chicken broth and skim off the fat. Then mix the gelatin with the broth making sure you whisk until it dissolves (read instructions on the gelatin).
Now put the liquid, shredded chicken, and the roasted garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning.
Add some beetroot juice for colour. Pour the mix into your mould and put it in the fridge to set. It will take about 6 hours.