Bobotie with Ground Beef

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Ground Beef
• 2 slices bread, soaked in ½ cup milk
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp apricot jam or chutney
• 2 tbsp raisins (optional)
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 eggs + ½ cup milk, for the custard top
• 2 bay leaves
• Rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brown the Ground Beef and onion in a little oil over medium-high, breaking it up, until no pink remains.
2. Stir in the curry powder and cook 1 minute, then the jam, raisins, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper. Sweet, sour, and spiced — bobotie plays all three notes at once.
3. Squeeze the milk from the soaked bread (keep that milk!) and mash the bread into the meat. Spread the mixture into a greased baking dish.
4. Whisk the eggs with the reserved soaking milk plus the fresh ½ cup, and pour it over the meat. Float the bay leaves on top like little flags.
5. Bake 30–35 minutes until the custard is set and golden at the edges. Rest 10 minutes and serve with rice — traditionally yellow rice with raisins, if you're committing.