Bobotie is the national dish of South Africa. It is a tasty mixture of mildly curried mince with a golden savoury custard topping, not dissimilar to moussaka.
- 2 slices white bread crusts removed
- 300 ml milk
- 2 onions
- 450 gr minced beef
- 1 large aubergine
- 2 tbls olive oil
- 2 tbls curry powder
- 1 juice of lemon
- 1 tbls apricot jam
- 2 tbls peach chutney
- 1 tbls sugar
- 1 tbls white wine vinegar
- 1 tin tomotoes (400 gr)
- 1/2 tbls tomato puree
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- pinch of dried herbs
- 2 eggs
- 4 bay leaves
- pinch of nutmeg
- 50 gr flaked almonds
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Soak the bread in the milk. Peel and finely chop onions and garlic. Coarsely grate the aubergine without peeling it.
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook them over a low heat until the onions is soft and transparent. Raise the heat and add the meat, stirring it over a high heat until the meat is well browned. Add the aubergine and curry powder and stir over a medium heat for 3 mins to release the flavours of the curry and soften the aubergine. Add the lemon juice, apricot jam, peach chutney, sugar and vinegar; mix in the tomatoes and tomato puree and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the herbs and simmer for 3 mins.
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Squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add the bread to the meat, mixing well to break up the bread. Simmer for 5 mins. Beat the eggs with milk and season the custard with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Spoon the meat mix into a shallow baking dish and pour over the custard. Press the bay leaves into the mix sideways so that they stick up through the custard and sprinkle with almonds.
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Bake in a moderate oven 180c /350f/gas 4 for about 40mins or until custard is set.
Meg and Lorna at HRS Hotel Excellence Awards
John and Bernadette in the Garden at High Trenhouse
Buffet lunch at High Trenhouse
