Festive Tapas Board
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1. Samosas with a mango chutney
INGREDIENTS
Lamb Filling
1 large Potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons Oil
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Cumin, seeds
¼ teaspoon Black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon Coriander, whole
1 tablespoon Garam masala
1 tablespoon Curry powder
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper or 1 tablespoon green chili finely chopped
1 teaspoon Turmeric
¼ teaspoon Amchur (mango powder) or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Asafoetida (or use garlic or onion powder)
¼ teaspoon Cumin, ground
500g Minced lamb
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
½ cup Frozen peas
¼ cup Fresh mint, finely chopped
1 packet Samosa pastry sheets [50 sheets per pack]
1 liter Cooking oil
Mango chutney
3 large Mangos (or use frozen mango equivalent)
½ cup sugar
100 ml White vinegar
1 tablespoon Fresh ginger grated
1 Red chili, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 clove Garlic
METHOD
Prepare the filling:
1. Boil the potato until very soft about 10 minutes. Roughly mash the cooked potato with a fork leaving some large chunks.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and whole coriander. Stir the mixture for a minute be careful not to burn it.
3. Add the minced lamb and cook through mixing well with the onion and spices.
4. Add the ginger, chili, and peas, cook until the chili is soft.
5. Add the remaining spices, garam masala, curry powder, cayenne pepper (if chili was not used), turmeric, amchur, asafoetida and ground cumin. Cook for a minute and mix all the ingredients until well blended.
6. Add the potato and gently stir to blend in the spices. Remove from the stove, stir in the chopped mint. Spread the filling out on a flat baking sheet and leave to cool completely before using.
Preparing the samosas:
7. Use a single samosa pur sheet and form into a cone by following the steps in the image below
8. To make a cone brush the long side with water, then fold the short side to join the long side making a triangle/cone shape. Press the edges to seal. (See recipe attached for a tutorial)
9. Open up the triangle and fill with about 1 tablespoon of filling, lightly pressing it in. Fold over the filled cone, brush the open pastry edge with water, press together so that your samosa is fully sealed, place the sealed edge on the work surface and press down to fold the last end of the pastry. Make sure the cone is pointy and is triangular. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
10. Heat oil to medium (160°C) in a deep pan or pot. Carefully place 3-4 samosas in the oil and fry for 3 minutes, make sure they do not touch the base of the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and let them drain and repeat with the next samosas until all have been fried.
11. Increase the oil temperature to 190°C. Carefully place 3-4 samosas into the oil and fry until they are golden. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. The second fry is to crisp the samosa and provide the golden colour.
12. Serve hot with a dipping sauce, chutney, or a yogurt raita.
Prepare the sauce [mango chutney]:
13. Peel mangos and remove the stone. Cut peeled mangos into smaller pieces.
14. Place all the ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and microwave 5 minutes at 100% power. Stir frequently until sugar is dissolved.
15. Microwave for 20 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Pour into a sterilized jar and seal or keep in the fridge.
2. Miniature sosaties with a yogurt raita
INGREDIENTS
Lamb
1,5 kg Leg of Lamb
2 large Onions, peeled
½ cup Dried apricots
Marinade
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon Curry powder
1 ½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Coriander, seeds
2 teaspoons Cumin, seeds
2 teaspoons Black peppercorns
2 teaspoons Whole cloves
2 tablespoons Fruit chutney
3 Bay leaves
2 teaspoons Turmeric
½ cup Brown vinegar
¼ cup White wine
Yogurt Raita
500 ml Yogurt, plain
1/3 cup Fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 small Green chili, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Cumin seeds
½ teaspoon Salt
METHOD
Prepare the Lamb:
1. Cute the meat into 2cm cubes and place in a glass container.
2. Cut the onions into 1/8 pieces. Place the onions on top of the meat. Place the dried apricots on top of the meat mixture.
Prepare the Marinade:
3. Combine the oil, garlic, ginger, curry, salt, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, chutney, bay leaves, turmeric, vinegar, and wine together and por over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the meat twice during that time.
4. Thread the meat, onion and apricots onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water to prevent them from burning. Grill over the barbeque or under the grill in the oven. Heat the marinade and serve as a sauce with the sosaties.
Prepare the sauce [yogurt raita]:
5. Mix the yogurt, parsley, chili, garlic, cumin, and salt together. Place in the refrigerator to develop the flavours. Serve with the sosaties.
3. Arancini with lamb and mint jelly
INGREDIENTS
Lamb
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Olive oil
500g Lamb, Flank
1 teaspoon Coriander, ground
1 teaspoon All spice
2 cups Lamb/chicken stock
½ cup Flour
1 Egg
1 cup Breadcrumbs, fresh
2 tablespoons Mint jelly
Risotto
1 tablespoon Butter 1 clove
Garlic, finely chopped
1 small Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Arborio rice
100 ml Dry white wine
350 ml Vegetable stock
25 ml Cream
25 g Grated Parmesan
Mint jelly
600 ml water
2 ¼ cups sugar
3 x 10 sachets Gelatin, powdered
300ml vinegar
1 cup packed Fresh mint, chopped
METHOD
Prepare the Lamb:
1. Sauté the garlic and onion in a pressure cooker.
2. Make a rub from the coriander and all spice, add to the 10 ml oil, and rub all over the meat.
3. Brown the meat with the onion and garlic and add the lamb stock.
4. Close the pressure cooker and cook 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, release the pressure and leave to cool.
5. Remove all the fat and cut the meat into small pieces.
6. Use ½ teaspoon of cooked meat per arancini ball.
Prepare the Risotto:
7. Melt the butter and sweat the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the rice, mix well until each kernel is covered.
8. Add the wine and when it has cooked away add the stock little by little, waiting between each addition until all the liquid has evaporated before adding more.
9. When the rice is soft but still al dente, remove from the heat. Add the cream and cheese and leave to cool.
10. Using wet hands divide the mixture into tablespoon amounts. Place a small amount of meat and a bit of mint jelly in the middle of each and roll into balls to enclose the filling.
11. Roll the balls in flour, dip in the egg and finally roll in the fresh breadcrumbs to coat.
12. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until the temperature reaches 180°C. Carefully lower the arancini, in batches, into the oil and cook for 5-6 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
13. Serve the arancini hot with extra mint jelly.
Prepare the sauce [mint jelly]:
14. Boil the water and sugar for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir in the gelatin, cook over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved.
15. Stir in the vinegar and mint; remove from the heat and steep the mint in the hot mixture for 20 minutes. Strain and transfer the jelly to warm, sterilized jars and seal.
4. Cocktail frikkadels with roasted eggplant dip
INGREDIENTS
Lamb
1 large Onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Olive oil
6 tablespoons milk
2 thick slices Day old white bread, crusts removed
800 g Lamb mince
1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 large Carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 extra large Egg, beaten
4 tablespoons Chutney
2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Smoked Eggplant dip
2 large Eggplant (aubergines)
1 small Onion, finely sliced
1 clove Garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons Olive oil
½ Lemon juice or 1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup Fresh parsley, chopped
Honey mustard mayo
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Grainy Dijon mustard
1 cup Mayonnaise
5 tablespoons Honey
3 tablespoons
Apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon White pepper
2 tablespoons Olive oil
METHOD
Prepare the Lamb:
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft and translucent but not brown. Leave aside to cool.
2. Place the bread in a flat container and pour the milk over it and leave to soak. Press the additional milk out of the soaked bread and break up finely with a fork. Set aside.
3. Place the coriander seed in a small pan and toast over medium heat. Crush the seeds and then sift to remove the skins. Sprinkle the sifted coriander over the minced lamb. Season with the thyme, salt, and pepper. Do not mix, cover and leave whilst preparing the other ingredients and sauces.
4. Place the onion, bread, carrots, egg over the meat, do not mix. Add the chutney, vinegar, nutmeg, cloves, and Worcestershire sauce on top. Use a two-pronged fork and mix all the ingredients together until well blended but do not overmix or knead the mixture.
5. Using wet hands, divide the mixture into tablespoon sizes and roll into small balls. Fry the small frikkadels in a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry until golden brown and crisp and just cooked on the inside. Drain on paper towel and serve with an accompanying sauce or dip.
Prepare the sauce [Smoked eggplant dip]:
6. Prick the aubergines with a fork and place them in the oven at 180°C for an hour or place them on the barbeque on the outside perimeter of the fire so as to cook slowly. Turn them around from time to time. Cook until soft and the skin charred.
7. Remove from the oven and place in a colander to drain the juices from the eggplant. When cool sufficiently remove the charred skins from the eggplant.
8. Chop the flesh and place in a blender with all the other ingredients, onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt pepper and parsley and blend well.
9. Garnish with some parsley and serve with pita breads.
Prepare the sauce [Honey mustard mayonnaise]:
10. Place the Dijon mustard, grainy mustard, mayonnaise, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until blended.
11. Slowly add the oil while whisking, pour into a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.