Our Ultimate
'Suid-San Luis Obispo'
 BOBOTIE!

In our family, we all enjoy cooking! Hardly a recipe goes by that an
interesting variation or application isn't tested -- often improving on the original!
So why wouldn't the 'Bobotie Recipe?' Over a few hundred years, this wonderful recipe has already passed through so many hands !.

'Bobotie' is destined and designed to be 'customized'.
 

Ingredients:

1 kg (2.2 pounds) minced lamb and pork
2 onions, chopped*
60 ml (1/4 cup) crushed garlic
2 slices bread, crumbled
finely grated rind and juice of
1/2 small lemon
3 eggs
100 g (3 ounces) dried apricots, chopped
30 ml (2 tablespoons) Apricot jam
50 g Chutney (1.5 oz)
1 Sees Canyon (Baking) apple peeled,
cored and chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) diced sultanas
(golden raisins)
50 g (1 1/2 ounces) slivered almonds

 

enough butter to cook meat/ onions

* check My 'French' variation

Mrs. Ball's Chutney

Seasonings:

15 ml (1 tablespoon)
curry powder
5 ml (1 teaspoon)
ground turmeric
5 ml (1 teaspoon)
Ginger
2 ml (1/2 tsp)
ground coriander
5 ml (1 teaspoon)
sea salt
6 bay leaves
 

14 ml (1 tablespoon)
Garam Masala
or
[5 ml (1 tsp) ground black pepper, 2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground cloves, 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cardamom, 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin]

Topping*:
250 ml (1 cup) milk (or yogurt)
2 eggs
2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt
1 sliced banana

 Make it for someone you love!

Bobotie Travel Log

The evolution of modern day Bobotie has passed through
many hands and it's history is part fact
and a certain amount of rumor and conjecture.

In Europe, it is said that the precursor to Bobotie was a
very popular Italian Meat casserole prevalent in the 16th
and 17th century. It was precisely this recipe that the
Dutch immigrants brought with them to South Africa. It
seems clear to me that the British had an influence with
 their fondness for Apricots as well as the Cape Malays
addition of curry spices.

The early settlers used pork and lamb in the dish as well
as the egg custard topping with slices of Bananas.
 I don't find pork in many Bobotie recipes... probably
 due to some religious objections ... but it seems to
me to be the more historically accurate variation.

Try my "French Variation"

I couldn't resist making Bobotie with Mirepoix ( add 1 cup
diced carrots and 1 cup diced celery to the existing onions
and garlic and sauté ), one additional egg to the meat
ingredients and 2 more
eggs and a little cream to the topping.

Method

First, prepare the meat:

grind either lamb or lamb
and pork

Step 1

Brown meat in butter...

 ...then stir in the seasonings.

 then,

remove from heat

Step 2

Dice two onions.
Place onions in a microwaveable
 dish, cover and ‘nuke’
for 6-8 minutes.

 then.... take your 'eye's
watering concoction....

...Melt some butter in a saucepan
 and cook the onion and garlic
until clear.  Add almonds.

Remove the pot from
the heat.

then...

add the browned meat and seasonings to the
onions & garlic..

aaaah!

breath in deeply!

Step 3

Mix together the crumbs,
  lemon rind and juice,
egg, salt, pepper,
apricots, apricot jam,
 apple, sultanas (golden raisins), chutney.  

Add

Susie Q to taste!

Step 4

Butter a large casserole.
(something that fits)

Step 5

Fill cooking container and
level the top.

(leave room for custard topping)

Step 6

"Bake it for someone you love!"

Stick the bay leaves into the
 meat mixture.

Set the oven at 160°C (325°F).

Seal with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours.

the Bobotie Inspectors!

Step 7

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F).

Remove bay leaves

Pat out meat mixture to the sides
 of the dish.

(You don't want your egg mixture sliding down the
sides or underneath.)

Step 8

Mix together the topping milk or yogurt, eggs and salt.
 

Step 9

Pour the egg mixture over the
top of the meat & garnish with
slices from 1 banana. 

Bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned.

Step 10

Serve with a tomato salad and
saffron or curry rice with a splash of Mrs. Ball's Chutney on the side!

Enjoy!
 

Other REQUIREMENTS:

Saffron Rice!

recipe:

1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
saffron to taste/color

Our family's recipe
for
Carrot Cake
with
Amarula

(click here)