Bobotie Meatloaf

This is the closest approximation of the South African National Dish that I could make. It is a sweet and savory meatloaf topped with an egg custard, pronounced "bwo-bwo-tea", once again, the closest approximation of the actual Afrikaans pronunciation that this American can say. The flavors are amazing, and are best served with African Yellow Rice (recipe can be found on Allrecipes), and plenty of hot mango chutney available on the side. Enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 372 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 slices bread
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ pound lean ground beef
• ¾ pound ground lamb
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, divided
• ½ cup diced dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons hot mango chutney
• 3 lemon leaves
• 3 orange leaves

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2- or 3-quart casserole dish.

Step 2

Soak bread in milk in the prepared dish.

Step 3

Combine raisins and apricots in a shallow bowl. Pour water and lemon juice over fruits and let soak while you cook.

Step 4

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chutney, Worcestershire sauce, curry, and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Cook until flavors start to blend, about 2 minutes. Add beef and lamb and cook until just barely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain fat from pan.

Step 5

Squeeze milk from bread; reserve milk in a bowl. Crumble bread into meat mixture. Add the raisins and apricots; mix well. Pour into the casserole dish and pat into a loaf. Roll up lemon and orange leaves and bury them at regular intervals into the loaf.

Step 6

Beat eggs with the reserved milk; add salt, pepper, and remaining turmeric. Pour over loaf. Cover with casserole lid or aluminum foil.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 130 degrees F (54 degrees C), about 1 hour. Uncover and continue baking until top is slightly browned, about 15 minutes more.

Step 8

Let meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing; remove buried leaves.