South African Shepherds Pie Bobotie Recipes

BOBOTIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl, and let the bread soak for 10 minutes.
• In a heavy saucepan melt the butter and the oil; then, stir in the onions and cook slowly until they are soft and translucent.
• Add the curry, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir for about 30 seconds.
• Stir in the lamb, and saute until well browned. Add the lemon juice, bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat.
• Drain the bread, and squeeze to dry it completely, reserving the drained milk.
• Add the bread, one of the eggs, the apple, raisins and almonds to the lamb. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well blended. Taste for seasoning.
• Pack the mixture loosely into an ovenproof baking dish, and tuck the bay leaves underneath.
• Whisk the remaining eggs with the reserved milk until it becomes frothy. Pour this mixture evenly over the meat, and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, until the surface has browned and is firm.
• Serve directly from the pan.

SOUTH AFRICAN SHEPHERD'S PIE (BOBOTIE)

Steps:

• Place slice of white bread in a bowl and cover with milk (enough to saturate) and set aside.
• Heat cooking oil in frying pan. Add onions and garlic to pan and sauté. In small bowl, stir together curry, jam, worchestershire, turmeric then add to pan.
• Add ground beef and stir until lightly browned, then remove from heat.
• Drain excess milk from bread and mash with one egg. Add to beef and mix well. Press mixture into casserole dish.
• Topping:.
• In small bowl, combine milk, 1 egg, and remaining turmeric. Pour over casserole (do not mix in).
• Place in 350° oven for 45 minutes or until topping is golden (1 hour if doubled).
• Serve over rice. I add a Tsp of turmeric to my rice while cooking to complement the casserole :).

BOBOTIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place bread in a bowl and cover with milk. Let sit until ready to use, turning if necessary to make sure the entire piece of bread is soaked.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and then the onions, chilies, and ginger with a bit of salt to draw out the moisture. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and spices and saute for another 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. (If necessary, add a bit of water to slow the cooking down.)
• Increase the heat to medium-high and push the vegetables aside a bit. Combine the different ground meats if necessary and add the ground meat and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. You can add a drizzle of canola oil if your pan is looking very dry. You want to develop color and deepen the flavor of the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, break up the meat with the onions and spices to mix. Add the preserves, malt vinegar, and tomato and season with salt. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes for all of the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon and let cool briefly. Wring out excess milk from the bread and add to the meat mixture. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the bread, and season if necessary. Fill 4 (10-ounce) ramekins 3/4 full with meat mixture and place ramekins in a roasting pan or baking dish.
• Combine eggs, heavy cream, and pinch of salt and pour to fill ramekins to the top.
• You want to bake these in a water bath, so fill the roasting pan or baking dish with boiling water until it comes at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins (see Cook's Notes).
• Cook at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard is set. You want the custard to be supple, so don't overcook or it turns into an omelet topping. If it jiggles a bit in the center, that's fine. Just let it sit in the water bath once you've taken it out of the oven to firm up a bit.
• Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve in the ramekins topped with chopped chives.