Cape Malay Meatloaf

"An enduring culinary legacy of colonial South Africa, this meat loaf with its custardy topping, called bobotie in Afrikaans, combines the twin Cape Malay loves for dried fruits and Eastern spices. It is traditionally served with yellow rice sweetened with honey. This version is from the Institute of Culinary Arts just outside Stellenbosch, South Africa."
 
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photo by Karen Elizabeth photo by Karen Elizabeth
photo by Karen Elizabeth
photo by Karen Elizabeth photo by Karen Elizabeth
photo by Dr. Jenny photo by Dr. Jenny
Ready In:
1hr 40mins
Ingredients:
20
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Put the bread in a medium bowl, pour the milk over it and let stand until the bread is completely moistened, about 15 minutes.
  • In a large skillet, heat the oil.
  • Add the onions and cook over high heat for 2 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the carrot and apple and cook over moderate heat for 3 minutes.
  • Add the spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the raisins, chutney, jam and vinegar and cook for 1 minute.
  • Squeeze the milk from the bread cubes and add the bread to the lamb mixture; reserve the milk.
  • With a fork, mash the bread into the lamb until blended.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer the lamb mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and smooth the surface.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and the reserved milk and pour the mixture evenly over the lamb.
  • Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the custard is set.
  • Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Note: The recipe can be prepared through Step 13 and refrigerated overnight; bring to room temperature before proceeding.

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Reviews

  1. I scaled this back for 4 serves and made in an 8x8 pan and used very lean beef mince instead of the lamb. It was not as spicy as I expected but then not too sweet either and well in the end 3 of us polished of 4 serves with the DM and DS coming back for seconds. Thank you Chef Kate, made for I Recommend tag game and recommended by Karen Elizabeth.
     
  2. Living in South Africa, I'm familiar with bobotie, and enjoyed making this one with its subtle personal touches! it worked well, with good texture and delicious complementary flavours. I used all the spices but omitted the raisins, because I dont particularly like them. Clearly explained, the recipe was easy to follow and gave great results! Served with steamed white rice and garlic green beans for a wonderful meal, thank you Kate!
     
  3. I was most intrigued with this recipe ~ with its use of chutney, jam, raisins, etc ~ & found the resulting loaf VERY, VERY TASTY! I did make this for a neighbor couple but kept a small portion for myself (the good ol' taste-test portion!) & was very pleased with it! I did, however, use a lean ground beef this time, but would like to make it again following the ingredient list given! Thanks for sharing! [Made & reviewed in the Family Picks part of Zaar World Tour 4]
     
  4. DH and I made this interesting meatloaf for dinner last night. I enjoyed it and thought it was very good. DH remarked that he found it a litle on the sweet side. After doing some investigation, I realized that I only used 1.3 lb (instead of 2 lb) of lamb and did not adjust the proportion of the other ingredients. That can make a big difference! Due to my error, I am reserving my star rating until a future date when I can make this again. While I found it to be really good, I suspect it could be great if I followed the directions as posted. I loved the lamb in this dish! Despite the long list of ingredients, the dish is not difficult to make. I will definitely make this dish again and report back. Thank you for posting. Made for ZWT4.
     
  5. This meat loaf was an experience in itself! So different but oh so good. I made a small loaf - made it using ground beef because that is what I had on hand. Followed the recipe - great instructions with excellent results. Thank you Kate for another of your winners.
     
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Tweaks

  1. I scaled this back for 4 serves and made in an 8x8 pan and used very lean beef mince instead of the lamb. It was not as spicy as I expected but then not too sweet either and well in the end 3 of us polished of 4 serves with the DM and DS coming back for seconds. Thank you Chef Kate, made for I Recommend tag game and recommended by Karen Elizabeth.
     
  2. This is a uniquely different meat loaf recipe. I loved the complex seasoning - everything blended together beautifully, and the touch of sweet pungency added by the chutney and jam. I used ground beef instead of lamb and a 1/2 portion of this recipe served 5 of us (2 adults, 3 wee ones) just fine. This actually reminded me a lot of Bobotie - one of my fave SA recipes!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I have always loved to cook. When I was little, I cooked with my Grandmother who had endless patience and extraordinary skill as a baker. And I cooked with my Mother, who had a set repertoire, but taught me many basics. Then I spent a summer with a French cousin who opened up a whole new world of cooking. And I grew up in New York City, which meant that I was surrounded by all varieties of wonderful food, from great bagels and white fish to all the wonders of Chinatown and Little Italy, from German to Spanish to Mexican to Puerto Rican to Cuban, not to mention Cuban-Chinese. And my parents loved good food, so I grew up eating things like roasted peppers, anchovies, cheeses, charcuterie, as well as burgers and the like. In my own cooking I try to use organics as much as possible; I never use canned soup or cake mix and, other than a cheese steak if I'm in Philly or pizza by the slice in New York, I don't eat fast food. So, while I think I eat and cook just about everything, I do have friends who think I'm picky--just because the only thing I've ever had from McDonald's is a diet Coke (and maybe a frie or two). I have collected literally hundreds of recipes, clipped from the Times or magazines, copied down from friends, cajoled out of restaurant chefs. Little by little, I am pulling out the ones I've made and loved and posting them here. Maybe someday, every drawer in my apartment won't crammed with recipes. (Of course, I'll always have those shelves crammed with cookbooks.) I'm still amazed and delighted by the friendliness and the incredible knowledge of the people here. 'Zaar has been a wonderful discovery for me.</p>
 
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