Another post, another lamb dish! Ok, it might be getting excessive. We promise to switch it up soon as we have some in the queue that do not involve this meat we love so dearly. However, we had some lamb around and we wanted to give you something different. So, buckle your seatbelt, tray table up, seats in their upright position. India? Think again… the Middle East? Wrong… Morocco? Nah… but warming up. Ladies and gents today we are going to South Africa and we couldn’t be more excited. We got inspired and we are going to give you our Flavor Bible take on South African Lamb Bobotie!
What is South African Lamb Bobotie?
Settle down, we aren’t making up words here. Let’s get you up to speed with a quick 411.
Pronunciation: Somewhere between buh-boo-tee and boo-boo-tie (but say them fast!). No sweat if you struggle, it’s fun to try.
The history: Back in the 1600s the Dutch – like many other European nations – liked to explore and bring back all kinds of exotic things, colonize, and all kinds of fun and not-so-fun stuff. South Africa is a really convenient stop in between the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. As such, all types of things were exchanged: goods, ideas, cuisines, spices, basically everything. Long story short, the Cape Malay community loved it and made it their own.
OK, great… now what is it? Simply put, it’s another take on a meat pie except this time we get creamy, delightful custard topping among other surprises. Like any other longstanding recipe with countless influences there are many variations and creative liberties taken through time, geography, family history, and the like.
Almost every culture has a meat pie… think Shepherd’s Pie, pot pie, various quiches, empanadas, samosas, Jamaican beef patties, and the list goes on. If you’ve been around the blog you will know there’s a strong chance we get to each and every one of those 😀
Nevertheless, now that you are sufficiently educated, join us as we prepare South African Lamb Bobotie. You won’t regret it.
Preparation: South African Lamb Bobotie
There is a little bit of prep involved here so – as always – you’ll want to get that done out front to make life easy. Some of the ingredients are interchangeable or optional. For instance, one could switch out other dried fruits while others may omit them altogether. We encourage you to try the recipe as-is but we never frown upon creativity. That’s what cooking is!
Mix together the bread with the half and half (from “main” section of recipe card, not “topping”). Set aside.
Over medium heat, melt the butter. Sautee the onions and carrots for 3 – 4 minutes until the onions begin turning translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Stir in the spices (curry powder through dried thyme on the recipe card). Add the ground lamb, breaking up with a spoon and cook until browned. Drain off any excess fat and remove from heat.
Stir in the remaining ingredients from the “Main” section of the recipe card. Mix thoroughly and place in a greased baking or casserole dish.
Press meat down into the dish. Allow to cool for several minutes. While cooling, whisk together the eggs and remaining half and half. Place the egg mixture over the top of the beef (do not stir in as this will be the topping!).
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until egg topping has set and begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into portions and serve.
We made the executive decision to serve ours over couscous and surround it with a mixture of peas and carrots. We encourage you to “do you” at this stage of the game. What you will do is serve something somewhat exotic to your family, significant other, or yourself… and then you’ll thank us for showing you the way of South African Lamb Bobotie =)
If You Like Lamb…
Try these other recipes:
- Lamb and Turnip Ragu
- Moroccan Lamb Stew
- Indian Lamb Stuffed Peppers
- Indian Lamb Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
- Easy Instant Pot Lamb and Turnip Masala
Equipment: South African Lamb Bobotie
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For this we used our trusty Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch oven and – while we could have probably kept it in the Dutch oven for transfer from the stove – we did transfer to a casserole dish. We recommend having both of these items handy at all times as kitchen essentials. If you’re in the market, here are a few suggestions (affiliate links):
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South African Lamb Bobotie
Equipment
- Large Pan or Dutch Oven
- Casserole or Baking Dish
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tbsp Butter, unsalted
- ½ Sweet Onion, diced
- ¼ cup Carrots, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 slice White Bread, crumbled Large slice, use another ½ slice if slices are small
- ¼ cup Half and Half
- 2 tsp. Curry Powder
- ½ tsp. Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp. Oregano
- ½ tsp. Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp. Dried Thyme
- 1 lb. Ground Lamb
- ½ Granny Smith Apple, minced or grated
- ¼ cup Golden Raisins Or sultanas if you can find them
- ¼ cup Dried Apricots, diced
- ¼ cup Fruit Chutney or Apricot Preserves
- ½ Lemon, juiced and zested
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Topping
- 2 Large Eggs
- ½ cup Half and Half or ¼ cup each of milk and heavy cream
- 4 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients as specified in the Main section of the recipe card. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix together the bread with the half and half (from "main" section, not topping). Set aside.
- Over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the onions and carrots for 3 – 4 minutes until the onions begin turning translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in the spices (curry powder through dried thyme on the recipe card). Add the ground lamb, breaking up with a spoon and cook until browned. Drain off any excess fat and remove from heat.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients from the "Main" section of the recipe. Mix thoroughly and place in a greased baking or casserole dish.
- Press meat down into dish. Allow to cool for several minutes. While cooling, whisk together the eggs and remaining half and half. Place the egg mixture over the top of the beef (do not stir in as this will be the topping!).
- Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until egg topping has set and begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into portions and serve.
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