Gramadoelas

Red Meat

Green Bean Bredie

2 T vegetable oil

1 kg lamb, cut into bite sized cubs

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1 t crushed garlic

1 t chopped fresh ginger root

½ cup water

½ kg fresh green string beans, trimmed, washed and cut diagonally into 2 cm lengths

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

1 T chopped fresh red chillies

¼ t dried thyme

1 t salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In heavy skillet, warm the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms. Add the lamb and brown, a few pieces ate a time. Turn the pieces frequently and regulate the heat so that they colour richly and evenly.

Add the onions, garlic and ginger root, stirring frequently to prevent them from sticking to the base of the sauce pan. Reduce the heat and cook for 8 – 10 min or until the onions are soft and golden brown. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Add the chillies, thyme, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cover tightly, and simmer the lamb in its own juices for 30 min or until reasonably tender. If necessary, stir in a little water. Add the green beans and potatoes and bring to a slow boil. Cover again. Reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally. Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the lamb and vegetables are tender but still intact.

Waterblommetjiebredie

2 kg thick ribs of mutton cut into bite-sized portions

2 T olive oil

2 finely chopped onions

1 bunch of chopped sorrel

1 large cooking apple, sliced or grated

1 cup whit wine

2 t salt

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

Freshly ground black pepper, according to taste

3 bunches of waterblommetjies

A rasp of fresh grated nutmeg

Rinse the waterblommetjies thoroughly in salt water

Spice the meat with salt and pepper. Brown the onions in a heavy saucepan. Add meat, and brown together with the onions. Add all the remaining ingredients except waterblommetjies and potatoes. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat is tender. Add more water if necessary.

Add the potatoes and waterblommetjies for at least 25 min of cooking time.

Grate nutmeg over dish before serving

Bobotie

Traditionally, boboties were made with minced mutton, but beef may also be used.

1 slice white bread, 3 cm thick, broken into bits

1 cup milk

2 T butter

2 T oil

1 kg coarsely ground lean lamb

1 ½ cups finely chopped onion

2 t curry powder

1 T brown sugar

1 t salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup stained fresh lemon juice

3 eggs

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely grated

½ cup seedlees raisins

¼ cup blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

4 small fresh lemon leaves, or bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl and let the bread soak for 10 min. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the oil then the onions stirring frequently.

Cook the onions until they are translucent. Add the curry powder, sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir for 2 min. Add the lamb to the spices and stir. When browned, stir in the lemon juice and bring the mixture to the boil.

Drain the bread in a sieve set over a bowl and squeeze completely dry. Reserve the drained milk. Then add the bread, one of the eggs, the apple, raisins and almonds to the lamb. Stir or beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired. Pack the lamb mixture loosely into an ovenproof baking dish. Tuck the lemon, orange or bay leaves beneath the surface of the meat. With a whisk beat the remain 2 eggs with the reserved milk until they froth.

Pour this mixture slowly and evenly over the meat and bake the Bobotie on the middle rack of the oven for 30 min until the surface has browned and feels firm to the touch. Serve directly from the baking dish as soon as it has been removed from the oven. Bobotie is traditionally accompanied by yellow raisin rice.

Pienang Curry

(The Javanese word was pindang)

Traditionally, at the Cape, this curry was cooked fairly dry, with not much sauce. More recently, yoghurt has replaced the tamarind water and cashew nuts have been used as an exotic addition.

1 kg Mutton, cubed

3 large onions

1 T oil for frying onions

4 T curry powder

2 T turmeric

2 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 t crushed garlic

½ t salt

½ cup yogurt or tamarind water

½ cup cashew nuts (optional)

1 – 2 t lemon juice

Sauté the onions in a casserole until soft. Add the curry powder, turmeric, garlic, bay leaves and water bring the curry mixture to the boil. Add the meat and simmer gently until tender. Add sugar, salt, and a little lemon juice. Serve with rice and sambals.

Crocodile

500 g cubed crocodile tail meat

Oil for frying

Batter

1 egg

1 cup flour

¼ t baking powder

1 cup water

Mix the above ingredients together in a mixing bowl to form a smooth batter and set aside.

Marinade

1 Onion, sliced

¼ t thyme

1 T oil

¼ t salt

¼ t ground black pepper

½ cup dry white wine

2 T butter

4 T lemon Juice

Combine all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Marinate the meat for 15 min. Remove the crocodile meat and drain. Coat the meat in the batter and drop individually into the hot oil, fry for 1 min. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Repeat until all meat is semi fried. Now place the meat into a frying basket and deep fry for the second time very briskly, for another min. Do not overcook, or the meat will become tough. Serve with lemon butter sauce.

Lemon Butter sauce

4 T butter

2 T lemon Juice

To make the lemon butter sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice and cook until it thickens. Serve.