Chicken Bobotie

Heritage Day got me thinking that we really shouldn’t celebrate our rich and diverse origins on only one day of the year. Bobotie is one of the best known and most loved South African dishes; called a “must for every cook’s repertoire”. A fairly economical dish, traditionally made on Mondays from leftover Sunday roast and brought to South Africa by early Malay settlers. I was served this week’s dish as a starter by Bobby Doolooa during a Cooking Club demo just after Heritage Day and asked his permission to convert it to a recipe for you. Instead of serving with rice, this bobotie is made on a layer of set mealie pap (so I suppose a case could be made for it being a South African lasagne) and made with chicken instead of the more traditional red meat. As usual I encourage you to experiment and tailor it to your taste.

Super South African Chicken Bobotie
12 sundried apricot halves
100g mealie meal (about 100ml)
450ml water
healthy pinch of salt
15ml butter/margarine

30ml sunflower (or grapeseed) oil
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1,5 cm ginger root, grated finely
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
15ml Rajah medium curry powder
2,5ml turmeric
extra water

500g coarse chicken mince (ask your Pick ‘n Pay butcher)
5ml salt
60ml peach chutney
250ml Pick ‘n Pay Choice pasteurised thin cream (or pouring cream)
2 eggs
6 medium lemon leaves, stalks trimmed
6 whole almonds

Start by placing the apricot halves in a small bowl and just cover with water. Heat in the microwave for 2 mins on defrost; stand for a few mins before draining off the liquid and reserving it. Chop the apricots quite finely. Now make the pap: Bring half the water to the boil over medium heat in a small pot, with the pinch of salt. Make a paste with the remaining water and the mealie meal and stir into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the pap, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a greased ceramic or glass oven-proof baking dish (about 20 x 30cm); leave to set. The flavouring for this bobotie is derived from Bobby Doolooa’s curry sauce recipe featured in late June. Start by heating 15ml of the oil over high heat in a small pot. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and stir through for a couple mins till fragrant and browning before adding the tomato and the reserved liquid from the apricots. Continue stirring, reducing the heat to medium low, until the tomato has “melted” into the mixture. Add the curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring for a few more mins, adding extra water, a little at a time, when necessary (the sauce should not be very liquid once cooked). Meanwhile, stir fry the chicken (the recipe can also be made ahead up to this point), by heating the remaining 15ml of oil over high heat in a wok or medium-large frying pan, adding the chicken (and 2,5ml salt) and cooking till just done; no more than 2-3 mins. Mix in the curry sauce, chutney and apricots. Whisk the eggs, cream and 2,5 ml of salt. Smooth the chicken mix over the pap before pouring over the cream mix. Finish by rolling up the lemon leaves and pushing them into the middle of each of the planned 6 portions, then place an almond next to each lemon leaf. Bake in a preheated 160’C oven for about 40mins, or until the cream topping is just set and golden brown. Pop under the grill briefly if necessary. Serve with the usual sambals and perhaps a green salad. Double the quantities to make a more substantial meal for about 8 people.