Sunday Kitchen: Tantalus Estate’s Gideon Landman + Lamb bobotie, yellow basmati rice, roasted carrots and brown butter almonds recipe

Waiheke's Tantalus Estate executive chef Gideon Landman. Photo / Supplied

As executive chef of the stunning Tantalus Estate on Waiheke, Gideon Landman is well-accustomed to creating refined, upscale food – but on the weekend a good old-fashioned South African meatloaf-type dish is what he loves to share with his family.

What does Sunday look like in your kitchen?

On Sundays I take my family to the Clevedon Markets. The children love the pony rides and we buy fresh bread and local vegetables. I get my home knives sharpened there. My children have been brought up from a young age eating everything and they help me out in the kitchen. We grow our own microgreens at home, so picking those for the meal is their job. We cook on the braai (barbecue) as much as possible, and in the cooler months the warmth from the fire is great when the days are shorter.

Why have you chosen to share this dish?

This meal brings back childhood memories of growing up in South Africa. Bobotie is a typical South African dish that’s similar to meatloaf. It is usually made with either lamb or beef, which is seasoned with slightly sweet curry, topped with a milk and egg custard and baked until it’s golden brown. I’m using lamb mince, as I want to create a childhood favourite using a proudly New Zealand ingredient. Bobotie is a delicious autumn warm-up with its aromatic spices and creamy topping. It’s a taste of my childhood, and I love making it for my family and creating new memories together.

South African bobotie. Photo / Supplied

Lamb bobotie, yellow basmati rice, roasted carrots and brown butter almonds

Serves 6

For the bobotie

1 slice white sandwich bread

250ml milk

1kg lamb mince

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp chopped thyme

1 tsp chopped rosemary

4 tsp flaky salt

3 tsp apricot jam

3 tsp fruit chutney (I use Mrs Balls, a well-known South African chutney)

125g golden raisins

1 onion, finely diced

1 tsp chopped garlic

3 large eggs

4 bay leaf or lime leaf

For the yellow basmati rice

250g basmati rice, rinsed

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 small cinnamon stick

125g raisins

20g butter

Roasted carrots with brown butter almonds

500g carrots

2 Tbsp good-quality olive oil

2½ Tbsp honey

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp chopped thyme

2 Tbsp butter

Flaky salt

Brown butter almonds

50g sliced almonds

100g butter

Good pinch of salt

6-8 fresh sage leaves

1. For the bobotie: Soak the bread in 125ml of the milk, squeeze the bread and keep the milk separate.

2. Mix the bread with the lamb mince in a bowl. Mix in the curry powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, ginger, thyme, rosemary, salt, apricot jam, chutney and raisins and combine well.

3. In a pan, saute the onion, add garlic, season, add lamb mince mixture, and brown the meat. Check seasoning. Add mixture to a casserole dish.

4. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the leftover milk from the bread and the remaining 125ml. Pour the mixture over the mince, garnish with the lime or bay leaves.

5. Bake at 180C for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with the yellow basmati rice and roasted carrots with brown butter almonds.

6. For the yellow basmati rice: Place the rice, turmeric, salt, and cinnamon stick in a pot, and cover with water.

7. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed, add sultanas and steam through a colander, with boiling water underneath for 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, mix in butter and serve.

8. For the roasted carrots: Wash the carrots, cut in half lengthwise.

9. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the carrots to the pan, season with salt, pan fry for 3 minutes until the carrot starts to colour, add the honey, cumin seeds and garlic, and cook for a further 3 minutes on the stove until the honey starts to caramelise.

10. Transfer to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, check at the halfway mark to turn carrots and baste with the honey mixture.

11. When cooking is complete, check if the carrots are cooked then add the butter and chopped thyme to the pan, baste the carrots, before transferring to a serving dish. Season with sea salt.

12. Add the butter, almonds, salt and sage to a pot, cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter starts to brown and the nuts and sage turns crispy, remove from the heat. Pour the mixture over the carrots just before serving.