The Karoo Lamb Consortium
Published with permission from COOKED IN THE KAROO by Justin Bonello, www.justinbonello.com. Photography Louis Hiemstra and Cooked in Africa films. All rights reserved.
If you want to, you can bake these under your oven’s grill, but when you make it on the fire, that smoky flavour you can only get from a braai makes it taste so much better. Plus it’s a good excuse to spend time in the great outdoors around a fire with your mates.
First activate the yeast by mixing sugar, yeast and warm water together, then sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour on top to prevent the mixture from getting a dry crust. Leave it in a warm spot (which could be anywhere in the Karoo) until it goes frothy. Sieve the flour into a bowl; add salt and then, using your fingertips rub in the butter. Whisk the eggs then pour into the yeast mixture. Next, make a hollow in the dough, pour in the yeast and eggs, then knead it well until you have soft pliable dough. Brush the dough with sunflower oil, place in a big bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and take it back to that warm spot to let it double in size for about 40 minutes. Knead the dough one last time then let everyone grab a fist-full and make a bun to braai over medium-hot coals until both sides are nicely toasted and it’s cooked through.
Published with permission from COOKED IN THE KAROO by Justin Bonello, www.justinbonello.com. Photography Louis Hiemstra and Cooked in Africa films. All rights reserved.
This is basically a fancy relish, and it’s very simple to make:
Serve either hot or cold as a relish to go on those delicious Lam’burgers.
Published with permission from COOKED IN THE KAROO by Justin Bonello, www.justinbonello.com. Photography Louis Hiemstra and Cooked in Africa films. All rights reserved.
Some nights the last thing I feel like doing is slaving over a hot fire, making dinner for everyone, while my friends get to play. This is how I felt one night on Kruisvallei after another extremely hot day. Dinner was going to be lamb burgers (from now on known as lam’burgers) on roosterkoek, all made from scratch on the braai.
Instead of me doing all the hard graft, the plan was that everyone create their own burgers, and what started as a lazy summer’s evening, quickly became a typical Cooked party. As much as I love my motley bunch of friends, I couldn’t entirely trust them to make the star of the show – the actual lamb mince patties, so I did that part. And from there everyone made their own burger by adding whatever weird concoction they could come up with to their lamb patties.
First up, put the mince in a bowl that’s big enough to fit both your hands in to so that you can work the meat. Crack in an egg, add the breadcrumbs, all the garlic, herbs and spices. Using your hands, mix it thoroughly. Now leave it centre stage, with jars of whichever spices you have, plates of fresh herbs and a selection of cheeses and other goodies. When it comes to lamb think of those wining flavours of mint, tzatsiki, rosemary … you get the picture.
Then sit back and enjoy the show.
I’m not sure if it’s because of their dismal spice knowledge, but some of them held up spice jars, sniffed at it (some of them a little too hard, getting red pepper up their noses) shook it (as if it would somehow reveal itself), stared at (for really long) all in an attempt to figure out what they were and what they would use them for. Then they would simply shrug, make vague comments like “hmm, that smells nice so I’ll use it.” And of course they did.
I sat back, sipped my brandy and coke and took mental notes. Some of the burgers were really scary, but the rule was if you made it, you had to eat it.
PS: How long you braai it for is up to you, just make sure you do it over moderate coals and for at least 5 minutes a side – but you know the drill. Don’t overcook the meat – there’s no need to kill it twice.
You can make an array of condiments for the burgers. We had tzatsiki (chopped garlic, cucumber, plain yoghurt, mint, parsley, dill and salt all mixed together) and Tania’s tamatie gemors.
Published with permission from COOKED IN THE KAROO by Justin Bonello, www.justinbonello.com. Photography Louis Hiemstra and Cooked in Africa films. All rights reserved.
These will feed about 10 of your friends, with lots of leftovers for you to enjoy in the in the morning.
Preheat your oven to 110°C. Toss the shanks around in the seasoned flour until evenly dusted. Melt the butter in a large pot, add a splash of olive oil, and then seal the shanks in batches. Once browned, take off the heat and set aside. Put the pot back on the heat and deglaze by pouring in about a glass of the red wine, stirring with a wooden spoon to get all those lekker bits of the bottom. Now, take the pot off the heat again and stack the shanks (fat-sides down, bones facing up) and pour in about three cups of vegetable stock. Next add the rest of the wine, the whole garlic, the rosemary, salt and pepper. If your pot has an oven friendly lid, pop it on, otherwise cover with foil. Let the shanks slow roast in the oven for about 7 hours or until tender and just about falling off the bones. To be on the safe side, check if they’re cooked after about 6 hours. Word of advice: the lamb will have its own natural flavour, but taste the sauce to make sure it suits your palate and adjust if needed. Most of the taste should come from those delicious shanks.
About 30 minutes before the lamb shanks are almost ready, start cooking the risotto. The worst thing you can do to risotto is overcook it – it’s got to be al dente which means the grains shouldn’t stick together and disappear into a gooey mush – this isn’t porridge! Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat and then add a splash of olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and fry until just soft, then stir in the garlic and cook for about another 30 seconds – be careful not to burn the garlic. Next add the risotto rice, and stir around until the grains are all properly coated with all that buttery garlicky goodness. If you’re not happy with the butter / rice ratio, go ahead – add more butter. Risotto can never have too much butter … or Parmesan! Stir in about a cup of white wine then once the liquid has almost completely absorbed, add a ladle of stock and keep stirring. Continue this process of adding stock and cooking it off until the risotto is al dente then add the peas, a big chunk of butter and a hearty handful of grated Parmesan. Give it one good stir around, season with salt and take it off the heat.
You can make the minty cream while you’re cooking the risotto. All you have to do is pour the cream into a saucepan, then add the fresh mint. Bring to a simmer and let it cook until the cream has reduced by half, stirring it every now and then to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Strain the cream through a sieve; otherwise you’ll be chewing on mint stalks later.
Scoop a big spoonful of the creamy risotto onto a plate, put one lamb shank on top, drizzle with some of the delicious gravy and finish it off with a generous dollop of mint cream on top. This isn’t the kind of meal you eat while trying to balance a plate on your knees. This meal is a little celebration, so be a bit fancy, set a table outside on your lawn, with loads of candles, good wine and great friends and enjoy every morsel under a star-filled sky.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Dish Towel
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Dish towel, mixing bowl, spatula, pizza stone for Green Egg
* Method: Mix the garlic salt and fresh thyme leaves into the mash. Roll into little balls and stuff a cube of the feta in the middle. Dip into the flour, then into the egg and then into the panko bread crumbs before frying for 4 minutes until brown.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Small saucepan, stick blender, sieve, spatula, 2 mixing bowls.
* Method: Sauté the onion and garlic in half of the butter. Add the peas, bicarb and spices and sauté off for 2 minutes. Add the stock and cook until the peas are totally cooked. Strain off most of the cooking liquid. Blend the peas and mint with the stick blender. Add the rest of the butter and then some of the cream as required for consistency reasons. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Strain through the sieve and set aside for plating.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Stick blender, mixing bowl, tablespoon
* Method: Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Agitate with the stick blender until all granules have disintegrated. Scoop the foam off the top and serve.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Mixing bowl
Method: Combine in a mixing bowl
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Circular serving plate, 2 Tablespoons
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Dish Towel, mixing bowl
* Method: Rub the spices into the lamb rump. Place the smoking mix in the Green Egg and smoke rump for 10 minutes. Finish off on the coals.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Food Processor, Pizza stone for big green egg
* Method: Toast all ingredients on the pizza stone in the Big Egg and then blitz in the food processor
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Cutting board, knife, mixing bowl
* Method: Cut the beetroot into 2cm cubes. Mix with the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Strain before serving.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Stick blender, mixing bowl, tablespoon
* Method: Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Agitate with the stick blender until all granules have disintegrated. Scoop the foam off the top and serve.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Saucepan, stick blender, sieve, mixing bowl
* Method: Boil the spinach, water cress and bicarbonate of soda in a saucepan. Remove the stock, then blend with the stick blender. Add the butter and seasoning. Add more stock as required to create a smear consistency. Strain through the sieve into a mixing bowl.
* Ingredients:
* Equipment: Rectangular serving plate, 2 Tablespoons
* Ingredients
* Equipment Dish Towel, cutting board, knife
Method Sprinkle the cumin and cayenne pepper (plus salt and pepper) onto the inside of the lamb shoulder. Sprinkle the lemon zest and juice over. Sprinkle the peppadews and almond flakes in and roll tightly. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake in the Green Egg at 100 degrees for 3-4 hours until cooked
* Ingredients
* Equipment: Mixing bowl
Method Combine in a mixing bowl
* Ingredients
* Equipment Small saucepan, stick blender, sieve, spatula, mixing bowl.
Method Cut the corn off the cob while you sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the corn and spices and sauté off for 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook until the corn is totally cooked. Strain off most of the cooking liquid. Blend the corn with the stick blender. Add some of the cooking liquid back as required for consistency reasons. Strain through the sieve and set aside for plating.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Dish towel, mixing bowl, spatula, pizza stone for Green Egg
Method Mix the garlic salt and fresh thyme leaves into the mash. Roll into little balls and stuff a cube of the feta in the middle. Dip into the flour, then into the egg and then into the panko bread crumbs before frying for 4 minutes until brown.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Cutting board, knife, mixing bowl
Method Cut the cucumber and wintermelon into 1cm cubes. Mix with the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Strain before serving.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Stick blender, mixing bowl, tablespoon
Method Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Agitate with the stick blender until all granules have disintegrated. Scoop the foam off the top and serve.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Rectangular serving plate, 2 Tablespoons
* Ingredients
* Equipment Dish Towel, 30cm Foil (for wrapping bones), cutting board and knife
* Ingredients
* Equipment Spray and Cook greaseproof spray, Baking tray (that fits in Green Egg), Fork, Mixing bowl
* Method Mix together the flour, spices, sugar and flour. Bake on pizza stone until crispy. Mix the sweet corn through it.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Small saucepan, stick blender, sieve, spatula, 2 mixing bowls.
* Method Sauté the onion and garlic in half of the butter. Add the peas, bicarb and spices and sauté off for 2 minutes. Add the stock and cook until the peas are totally cooked. Strain off most of the cooking liquid. Blend the peas and mint with the stick blender. Add the rest of the butter and then some of the cream as required for consistency reasons. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Strain through the sieve and set aside for plating.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Small saucepan,
* Method Heat a third of the apple juice in the saucepan. Dissolved the gelatine leaves in it. Add the rest of the apple and lemon juice and stir to combine in the mixing bowl. Set in a highly greased turbot tray (small enough that the jellies are between 1-3 cm tall). Remove from tray and cu into neat squares to serve
* Ingredients
* Equipment Small ,metal baking tray for Big Green Egg, wooden spoon
* Method Cut the apples in 2cm cubes and stew in the rest of the ingredients in the big green egg until well cooked.
* Ingredients
* Equipment Rectangular serving plate, 2 Tablespoons
members
recipes
standards
how it works
trace your meat
karoo gallery
karoo news
karoo tv
faq
karoo network