Ingredients

  • Fallow Haunch Trim                                                   
  • 4 Slices White Bread                                                  
  • Basmati Rice                                                              
  • 1 Onion                                                                      
  • 4 cloves Garlic                                                            
  • 3 red Chillies                                                              
  • 400ml Whole Milk                                                     
  • 3 Eggs                                                                         
  • 200 grams All-purpose flour                                      
  • Buttermilk                                                                 
  • 3 Quinces                                                                   
  • 1 ½ handfuls of Golden Sultanas                                
  • 2/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar                                        
  • Vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp Madras Curry Powder
  • ¼ tbsp All spice
  • ¼ tbsp ground Mace
  • Bay Leaf
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Ground Ginger
  • Cardamom pods
  • ½ tbsp Turmeric
  • 2/3 cup Malt Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Peach Chutney
  • Onion Seed
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

Method

Create a Panade – Tear up four slices of white bread and place in a pan.   Pour over enough milk so that the bread is covered when you squash it down.

Finely chop the venison, you could put through a grinder but the texture will hold better if you cut with a knife.    Dice a large white onion.  Peel and dice the quince into small chunks.

Remove the seeds and finely slice the chillies.  Finely slice the garlic. 

Prepare the dough for the flatbreads.  In a large mixing bowl add 200g of flour, 2 pinches of salt, 2 pinches of onion seed.  Pour over buttermilk, you need to add gradually by eye a small amount at a time and work the dough until you have achieved the required consistency. The dough should be elastic and not stick to your hands.  Cover with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming.

In a hot dry pan toast the spices for the chutney, add cardamon seeds, ground cinnamon, ground ginger.  Add half of the diced onion and all the diced quinces.  Add 2/3 cup of dark brown sugar and 2/3 cup of malt vinegar.  Finally add a cup of cold water and cover with a cartouche to allow the chutney to sweat and steam on a low temperature until cooked through.

To create the filling for the Bobotie place a dry pan onto heat, add 2 tbsp of hot madras curry powder, ¼ tbsp of all spice and a ¼ tbsp of ground mace.   As this starts to smoke and you can smell the aromas remove from the heat and set aside.   Place a large pan on the heat to pre warm with a good glug of vegetable oil and caramelise the rest of the diced onion.  Season with salt.  Add the sliced chillies and garlic then add the toasted spices that you had set aside.  Add the diced venison, adding extra vegetable oil if needed. Season with salt and black pepper.  Turn down the heat and allow the meat to soften.  Add a splash of water then squeeze the excess milk from the panade and stir the soaked bread in with the venison.  Add a handful and a half of golden sultanas.  Add water to the pan if needed and season.   Stir through 2 tbsp of peach chutney (can use mango if you cannot find peach) before covering with a cartouche and leaving to cook.

Wash the starch out of the basmati rice and allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Work the flatbread dough into a roll and cut into four before giving each slice one roll to form the flat bread shape.  Add to a very hot oven for around a minute and a half then turn. 

Drain the soaked rice and add to a pan, cover with around 2cm of water.  Add ½ tbsp of turmeric, 4 toasted cardamom pods to flavour and allow to steam until no water remains.

Fill the base of your Bobotie serving dishes with the venison curry mix and press down.  Prepare the custard lid by adding 300ml of milk and 3 eggs to a bowl.  Whisk together.   Pour the custard onto the curry mix and flavour with a bay leaf added to each dish.  Place in a very hot oven for 8 – 9 minutes.

Serve an individual Bobotie with rice, some chutney and a flatbread.