Christmas recipes part 1

Bobotie

For the filling

·                                 2 tbsp butter

·                                 1 large onion, chopped

·                                 2 medium carrots, grated

·                                 2 cloves garlic, crushed

·                                 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

·                                 1 tsp ground coriander

·                                 1 tsp ground cumin

·                                 0.5 tsp turmeric

·                                 450 g minced lamb

·                                 25 g blanched flaked almonds

·                                 50 g raisins or sultanas

·                                 1 heaped tsp chopped parsley

·                                 1 heaped tsp thyme, leaves only

·                                 1 heaped tsp chopped chives

·                                 1 bay leaf

·                                 1 tsp salt

·                                 1 tsp white sugar

·                                 2 slices white bread, soaked in 2 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp vinegar

For the topping

·                                 3 eggs

·                                 250 ml milk

·                                 1 tsp turmeric

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.

2. For the filling: melt the butter in a wide, heavy-based pan over a low-medium heat and stir in the onion, carrots, garlic, ginger and the ground spices. Cover the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

3. Increase the heat to high and stir in the mince. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until all the mince is browned.

4. Stir in the almonds, raisins, herbs, salt, sugar and the soaked bread, along with any excess milk and vinegar.

5. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper then tip the filling into a large ovenproof dish and set aside.

6. For the topping: whisk the eggs in a medium bowl, stir in the milk and turmeric and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

7. Pour the topping through a sieve over the meat in the dish. Put straight into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is set and golden and the filling is bubbling hot.

8. Serve the bobotie straight from the dish.

Leg of Lamb with Mrs. Ball's Chutney

• 1 kilogram  leg of lamb
• salt and black pepper
• 1 cup Mrs. Ball's chutney
• 4 large potatoes -- peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder -- mix with 1 cup water

Bring meat to room temperature and season with salt and pepper.
Baste meat with some of the chutney.
Roll the butterflied leg of lamb up and tie with butchers twine.
Place potato slices in a small roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and pour stock over.
Arrange meat on a rack over potatoes, so that the meat juices drip onto potatoes.
Roast in a preheated oven at 180 C, basting with remaining chutney, for 90 minutes or until done to your liking.
When cooked, remove meat and allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving.

Oxtail Potjie                

• 6 pounds Oxtails cut 2 ½ inches thick pieces
• 10 slices Bacon cut in 1 inch piecs
• 1/2 cup Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 litre Beef stock
• 1 can Hunt's tomato sauce
• 1Bay leaf
• 6 Black Peppercorns
• 1 Bouquet Garni
• 6 large Leeks, chopped coarsely
• 2 large Onions, chopped coarsely
• 6 large Carrots, chopped coarsely
• 20 Button mushrooms
• 1 cup Red Wine
• 1/2 cup Sherry
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Crushed garlic

Dry oxtails with paper towel.
Put seasoned flour in a Ziplock bag, then add the Oxtail and shake to coat with flour.
Heat butter and olive oil and saute bacon pieces.
Remove bacon and brown Oxtail in resulting fat, remove and drain.
Finely dice 4 of the carrots. Coarsely chop the onions and the leeks.
Add the finely diced carrots, leeks, onions and saute until softened
Add Oxtail, bacon, bouquet garni, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, tomato sauce, red wine, sherry.
Bring slowly to a boil and cook slowly for 3 - 4 hours.
1 hour before serving cut the remaining carrots into 1 inch pieces, add them and mushrooms and continue cooking slowly.
Just prior to serving, add cream and stir in.
If you want to thicken the sauce mix some cornstarch with the cream before adding.

Yellow Rice with Raisins

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• 2 cups white rice

In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the first 7 ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rice, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon rind before serving.

Mielie Bread

• 2 cups biscuit mix
• 1 cup creamed corn
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 ounces butter, melted

In a large bowl, place the biscuit mix, creamed corn, and sugar. Add the egg and milk, and
stir just until combined.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9" baking pan. Place mieliemeal mixture into the
pan, and coat with the melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes.

Milk tart

• 500 grams puff pastry
• 7 milligrams butter
• 1 milligram salt
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 750 milliliters boiling milk
• 10 milligrams custard powder
• 15 milligrams corn flour
• 15 milligrams cake flour
• 25 milliliters cold milk
• 125 milligrams sugar
• 4 large eggs, separate out yolks
• 2 milliliters almond extract
• cinnamon sugar

Line the bottoms and sides of 2 pie plates with the puff pastry and make a raised edge for each.
To make the filling, add the butter, salt and cinnamon to the boiling milk. Mix the custard powder , cornflour and cake flour to a paste with the cold milk. Stir in a little of the milk mixture. Stir the custard mixture into the hot milk, add 50 ml of the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Remove from the stove when it has thickened and discard the cinnamon. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar. Beat the egg yolks lightly and stir in a little of the custard mixture. Stir the yolks into the custard mixture, then add the almond extract. Carefully fold in the egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the pastry cases and bake at 200 C for approximately 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 180 C and bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the filling has set. Cool slightly and sprinkle the tart with cinnamon sugar.