Bobotie,with Blatjang a major contender for South africa's national dish.... a recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate Of Zion (#POetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori

Bobotie (Afrikaans: [bǝˈbuǝti]) is a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping.

Origin of name and recipe
Bobotie appears to be a variant of Patinam ex lacte, a dish documented by the ancient Roman writer Apicius, layers of cooked meat, pine nuts, and seasoned with pepper, celery seeds and asafoetida. These were cooked until the flavours had blended, when a top layer of egg and milk was added. When the latter had set, the dish was ready to be served.[3] C. Louis Leipoldt, a South African writer and gourmet, wrote that the recipe was known in Europe in the seventeenth century

The origin of the word Bobotie is contentious. The Afrikaans etymological dictionary claims that the probable origin is the Malayan word boemboe, meaning curry spices Others think it to have originated from bobotok,[ an Indonesian dish which consisted of totally different ingredients. The first recipe for bobotie appeared in a Dutch cookbook in 1609. Afterwards, it was taken to South Africa and adopted by the Cape Malay community.It is also made with curry powder leaving it with a slight "tang". It is often served with sambal. The dish has been known in the Cape of Good Hope since the 17th century, when it was made with a mixture of mutton andother meats ("white meat" (pork) if you don't keep kosher).

Preparation
Today, bobotie is much more likely to be made with beef or lamb, although pork lends the dish extra moisture. Early recipes incorporated ginger, marjoram and lemon rind; the introduction of curry powder has simplified the recipe but the basic concept remains the same. Some recipes also call for chopped onions to be added to the mixture. Traditionally, bobotie incorporates dried fruit like raisins or sultanas. It is often garnished with walnuts, chutney and bananas.[11] Although not particularly spicy, the dish incorporates a variety of flavours that can add complexity. For example, the dried fruit (usually apricots and raisins/sultanas) contrasts the curry flavouring. The texture of the dish is also complex, the baked egg mixture topping complementing the milk-soaked bread which adds moisture to the dish.

This would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! The recipe was selected for an international recipe book published in 1951 by the United Nations Organisation. Bobotie is a Cape-Malay creation, and they spice it up even more with cumin, coriander and cloves. A similar dish was known in Europe in the middle ages after the Crusaders had brought turmeric from the East. When our first Dutch settlers arrived, Holland was largely influenced by Italian cooks, and a favorite dish was a hashed meat backed with curried sauce, spiked with red pepper and 'sweetened with blanched almonds.' There are many local variations, but the idea is that the mince should be tender and creamy in texture, which means long, slow cooking. Early cooks added a little tamarind water; lemon rind and juice is a more modern adaptation.

Yield :Makes 8 servings

Ingredient

minced lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two
butter, vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) crushed garlic
15 ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder
5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground turmeric
2 slices bread, crumbled
60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 egg
5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt, milled black pepper
100 g (3 ounces) dried apricots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) sultanas (golden raisins)
50 g (1 1/2 ounces) slivered almonds, roasted in a dry frying pan
6 lemon, orange, or bay leaves
TOPPING
250 ml (1 cup) milk
2 eggs
2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt


Preparation

1. Set the oven at 160°C (325°F). Butter a large casserole. Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric, and cook briefly until fragrant. Remove the pot from the heat.
2. Mix in the minced meat. Mix together the crumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple, sultanas (golden raisins) and almonds and mix in. Pile into the casserole and level the top. Roll up the leaves and bury them at regular intervals. Seal with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F). Mix together the topping milk, eggs and salt (you may require extra topping if you've used a very large casserole), pour over and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. Serve with Yellow Rice and Blatjang

Blatjang Recipe

This recipe originally accompanied bobotie.

Before we learned to make our own chutney from ingredients as diverse as apricots, dates, quinces and raisins, blatjang was imported from Java, made from sun-dried prawns and shrimps, which were pounded with a wooden pestle and mortar; and shaped into masses resembling large cheeses.

Blatjang is the pride of Cape Malay-cuisine, and the recipe is one of the oldest around. The name comes from one of the constituents of the Javanese sambal blachang. Early food writer; C Louis Leipoldt, described it as 'bitingly spicy, pungently aromatic, moderately smooth and a very intimately mixed association of ingredients.' There is nothing quite like blatjang to add zest to curries or braaied meat. Adjust the amount of chilli to suit your preference. Blatjang may be stored for up to a year; but refrigerate once the bottle has been opened.

Yield :Makes about 2,5 litres (about 2.5 quarts)

Ingredients

250 g (8 ounces) dried apricots, chopped

250 g (8 ounces) seedless raisins

3 litres (12 cups) grape (wine or cider) vinegar

4 large onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

500 g (1 pound) brown sugar

200 g (6 1/2 ounces) flaked almonds

30 ml (2 tablespoons) salt

45 ml (3 tablespoons) ground ginger

30 ml (2 tablespoons) ground coriander

30 ml (2 tablespoons) mustard seeds

10 ml (2 teaspoons) chilli powder

Preparation

• Combine the apricots, raisins and vinegar in a 5-litre (5-quart) saucepan. Soak overnight to plump the fruit. Alternatively, if time is tight, simply cover, bring to the boil and set aside for about 2 hours.
• Add the remaining ingredients, and cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally at first, then constantly towards the end of the cooking time, until the chutney has reduced to about one-third, and is beautifully thick. It should take 1 1/2-2 hours. To know when it is ready for bottling, test the consistency by putting a little in the freezer to cool. Pour into hot, sterilized jars, seal and store in a cool, dark cupboard.
• Kitchen Tip:
• Use glass canning jars with screw-top lids for this recipe, and sterilize them by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.