Mince need not be boring, as Angela Day shows with innovative recipes
On the menu:
Swedish meatballs
Pork spring rolls
Mince and sweet potato frittata
Lamb mince gozleme
Spicy Moroccan chicken mince
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Serves 4-6
30ml oil
1 onion, chopped
250ml fresh white breadcrumbs
125ml milk
500g beef mince
300g pork mince
1 egg
10ml salt
a good grinding black pepper
5ml ground allspice
oil for frying
250ml prepared gravy
250ml cream
mashed potato for serving
redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce
Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft. Drain and set aside.
Combine breadcrumbs and milk and set aside for 10 minutes.
Add onions and soaked breadcrumbs to the mince, together with egg and seasoning. Mix well.
Shape into large balls and fry in shallow oil until golden brown and cooked. Drain and serve on top of mashed potato and coated with gravy sauce.
SAUCE: Combine the gravy and cream, and heat.
* This is traditionally accompanied by lingonberry preserve, which is not available here. We found redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce just worked well.
PORK SPRING ROLLS
Serves 10-12
15ml oil
300g pork mince
15ml chopped garlic
15ml grated ginger
500ml finely shredded cabbage
250ml grated carrot
30ml fish sauce
15ml soy sauce
15ml oyster sauce
10-15ml sriracha sauce
10ml sugar
125ml chopped coriander
a handful of thread vermicelli noodles, soaked until soft.
spring roll wrappers
beaten egg
oil for frying
sweet chilli sauce for serving
Heat the oil and fry the mince until lightly browned, breaking up the lumps with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a few minutes.
Add the cabbage and carrots and fry until soft. Add the fish sauce, soy, oyster and sriracha sauces and the sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is quite dry.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander. Add the drained noodles. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
Place a spring roll wrapper diagonally on your work surface.
Place a spoonful of mixture 5cm from the base of the bottom corner. Lift the point over to cover the filling, tuck it in, fold in the sides and roll up to enclose the filling. Brush the remaining edge with egg and seal.
Repeat until all the filling is used.
Fry the rolls in deep hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve with sweet chilli dipping sauce.
MINCE AND SWEET POTATO FRITTATA
Serves 6-8
200g sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
60ml olive oil
salt and pepper
2 medium leeks, finely sliced
½ red pepper, diced
½ yellow pepper, diced
5ml ground cumin
5ml paprika
2ml ground cinnamon
2ml cayenne pepper
500g beef mince
8 eggs
125ml cream
125ml grated Parmesan
100g feta, crumbled
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Place the sweet potato slices on a baking tray, drizzle with half the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 10-15 minutes until just tender. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in an ovenproof pan and fry the leeks and peppers for a few minutes.
Add the spices and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the mince and fry until browned and coated in the spices.
In a large jug, whisk together the eggs, cream and Parmesan. Pour over the mince mixture and crumble over the feta.
Arrange the roasted sweet potato slices over the top.
Turn down the heat to low and cook on the stove top for 10 minutes.
Place under the grill and heat for 5 minutes until golden and set.
Cool slightly before serving.
LAMB MINCE GOZLEME
Makes 6
DOUGH
750ml flour
10ml salt
10g instant yeast
10ml sugar
30ml olive oil
warm water to mix
olive oil for brushing
FILLING
15ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
500g lamb mince
10ml ground cumin
10ml ground coriander
3ml ground cinnamon
salt and pepper
30ml tomato paste
30ml pomegranate molasses (optional)
60ml raisins
60ml lightly toasted pine nuts
125g feta cheese, crumbled
60ml chopped mint
DOUGH: In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast and sugar.
Add the oil and enough warm water to form a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and place in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes.
Gently knead the dough. Divide it into 6 equal portions.
Roll each portion into a rectangle measuring about 20x30cm.
Place cooled filling on the bottom half of the dough. Fold over the other half to enclose the filling, and seal the edges by turning the dough over to form a little ridge.
Brush with olive oil and place on a griddle pan over medium heat to cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
Brush the uncooked side with olive oil and flip over to cook on the other side for 5 to 8 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
The prepared pies can be kept warm in the oven.
FILLING: Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and chilli until soft. Add the mince and brown well. Break up the lumps with a wooden spoon.
Add the spices and seasoning and cook for a minute. Stir in the tomato paste and pomegranate molasses and cook for another minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins, pine nuts, feta cheese and mint.
Mix well and allow to cool completely.
SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKEN MINCE
Serves 4
15ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5ml crushed garlic
700g chicken mince
30ml Moroccan spice mix
3 medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped
60ml currants
30ml lemon juice
60ml chicken stock
30ml pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper
60ml chopped fresh coriander
60ml chopped fresh mint
couscous, to serve
Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the lumps, for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the Moroccan spice and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, currants, lemon juice, chicken stock and pine nuts.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir through the coriander and mint and serve on a bed of couscous.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.