This is one of the national dishes of South Africa. You can make bobotie with any ground meat, but I typically use deer burger. You can make this as spicy or mild as you want. It reheats well, too, and will keep in the fridge for a week.
2teaspoonsgaram masala,or ½ teaspoon ground clove and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/3cupchopped cilantro or parsley,loosely packed
Cayenne pepper to taste(I use 1 teaspoon)
2tablespoonstamarind paste,mango chutney or peach jam
3tablespoonsgolden raisins(optional)
3citrus leavesor bay leaves
Juice of a lemon or lime
TOPPING
1cupheavy cream
2large eggs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Soak the bread in 2 cups of milk.
Cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until they’re soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle some salt over them as they cook. Add the garlic and the venison and brown well. Salt this as it cooks, too. Break apart the ground venison as it cooks so it looks like taco meat.
When it’s pretty much browned, add the curry powder, tamarind and all the remaining spices and herbs, and the raisins if using. Cover the pan, add the lemon or lime juice, and let this cook for a few minutes.
Squeeze out the milk from the bread and mash it into the mixture. Turn off the heat. Move the mix into a casserole dish and press it down well.
Beat the eggs and cream together and pour over the casserole. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the egg mixture is set and turning golden.