authentic Australian eating experience--crocodile? kangaroo?
Mar 4th, 2008, 05:11 PM
#22
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I eat kangaroo regularly, surprisingly, at the pub where we play pub trivia on Wednesdays. It does need to be just cooked, and they do it very well there.
One of the great meals I've had in Sydney was kangaroo at a restaurant called I'm Angus, on Darling Harbour, sitting there in the sunlight (lunch time), with a glass of red. Excellent!
One of the great meals I've had in Sydney was kangaroo at a restaurant called I'm Angus, on Darling Harbour, sitting there in the sunlight (lunch time), with a glass of red. Excellent!
Mar 4th, 2008, 09:05 PM
#23
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Great thread, caligirl!
I've tried kangaroo pie at a restaurant but was not impressed - the meat was dry and chewy - which from the posts above, was probably due to lack of culinary expertise on the part of the chef.
Have to give a thumbs-up here for a traditional Aussie favourite – corned beef with cabbage.
I too recall when the Aussie staple was the “meat, potato and two veg” –one of which was inevitably mashed pumpkin served with an ice-cream scoop – and the corned beef has remained a favourite in spite of the incredibly wide variety of cuisines now available and enjoyed with gusto.
There is no ‘corn’ or ‘maize’ involved – it derives from the time of early settlement as Neil mentions above, when meat was preserved by salting or ‘corning’ it.
Corned beef or corned silverside is available cheaply in most supermarkets – and is simmered slowly (40 mins per kilo)in water with brown sugar, a whole peeled onion, vinegar and a couple of bay leaves added. The end result is a tender and slightly spicy delight, served with a white sauce, often flavoured with a bit of horseradish – and then of course, traditionally boiled cabbage and the double scoop of pumpkin.
It is soooooo good – the whole family loves it.
Bon apetit,
Jackie
I've tried kangaroo pie at a restaurant but was not impressed - the meat was dry and chewy - which from the posts above, was probably due to lack of culinary expertise on the part of the chef.
Have to give a thumbs-up here for a traditional Aussie favourite – corned beef with cabbage.
I too recall when the Aussie staple was the “meat, potato and two veg” –one of which was inevitably mashed pumpkin served with an ice-cream scoop – and the corned beef has remained a favourite in spite of the incredibly wide variety of cuisines now available and enjoyed with gusto.
There is no ‘corn’ or ‘maize’ involved – it derives from the time of early settlement as Neil mentions above, when meat was preserved by salting or ‘corning’ it.
Corned beef or corned silverside is available cheaply in most supermarkets – and is simmered slowly (40 mins per kilo)in water with brown sugar, a whole peeled onion, vinegar and a couple of bay leaves added. The end result is a tender and slightly spicy delight, served with a white sauce, often flavoured with a bit of horseradish – and then of course, traditionally boiled cabbage and the double scoop of pumpkin.
It is soooooo good – the whole family loves it.
Bon apetit,
Jackie
Mar 5th, 2008, 08:02 PM
#25
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No one has yet mentioned mangrove worms and witcherty grubs, both wonderful local tucker.
Be careful of the native fruits though. Without the large mammalian frugivores there has been little reason for our plants to develop fruits to our taste. There are some good ones but it is the plants in this country which are really nasty.
Be careful of the native fruits though. Without the large mammalian frugivores there has been little reason for our plants to develop fruits to our taste. There are some good ones but it is the plants in this country which are really nasty.
Mar 7th, 2008, 01:24 AM
#26
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Lamb is often considered traditional Aussie fare, at least since European settlement.
As others have said, roo is widely available in supermarkets, restaurants and pubs. However, a lot of people can't bring themselves to eat "Skippy" or our National Emblem. I've only tried it once and suffer somewhat from the psychological block of eating it, rather than a taste issue. It is also commonly available as pet food, but is labelled as such in those cases.
As others have said, roo is widely available in supermarkets, restaurants and pubs. However, a lot of people can't bring themselves to eat "Skippy" or our National Emblem. I've only tried it once and suffer somewhat from the psychological block of eating it, rather than a taste issue. It is also commonly available as pet food, but is labelled as such in those cases.
Mar 17th, 2008, 03:28 PM
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Corned beef with cabbage and mashed pumpkin - a traditional Aussie favourite?? Not sure of this is a joke, or if I have been living somewhere else for the last 20 years. I have never eaten this, nor heard of it so that I may be tempted! The traditional Aussie menu is roast lamb on a Sunday (with baked potatoes and pumpkin). Also barbeques with almost anything - seafood, red meat, chicken. Style can be traditional "English style" but anything Asian is very popular. If in Melbourne, there is definately some of the best Italian food around. Multicultural is definately our style of food! Kangaroo? Not sure - it certainly is available in the local supermarket. I have never eaten it, but am tempted to "try it out" on our French exchange student due to arrive in June. Given that it seems "rare" is the best way to serve it, she may enjoy it. My daughter never got used to her "blue" undersooked steaks in France when she went on exchange there. Thanks everyone for the great views on food in Australia - fun and informative to read!
Mar 17th, 2008, 04:03 PM
#28
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I live in Sydney and I am planning our food for this weekend- Easter, wondered what others are having for family/friend get togethers.
Friday we are having the seafood theme - Prawns in Garlic cooked on the barbie, Fish wrapped in foil with lime juice, coriander and garlic cooked on the barbie. Served with a spinach and pumpkin salad and Roast potatoes with rosemary. Not sure what for dessert.
Sunday lunch at brothers place is Roast lamb- hope its not too hot a day. I am taking dessert, maybe a fruit platter might be good.
Monday evening- More friends over so might use the barbie again- Pepper and Thyme marinated Beef cooked in my cast iron pot on the barbie then throw in the beans on top to cook at the last minute. Served with some other veges baked in the oven. A nice red wine will go well with this.
When we visit family we often take a contribution to the meal and vice versa when they visit, then we help serve it all together.- do others do this?
At this time of the year we use the barbie alot for cooking and eat outside.
Friday we are having the seafood theme - Prawns in Garlic cooked on the barbie, Fish wrapped in foil with lime juice, coriander and garlic cooked on the barbie. Served with a spinach and pumpkin salad and Roast potatoes with rosemary. Not sure what for dessert.
Sunday lunch at brothers place is Roast lamb- hope its not too hot a day. I am taking dessert, maybe a fruit platter might be good.
Monday evening- More friends over so might use the barbie again- Pepper and Thyme marinated Beef cooked in my cast iron pot on the barbie then throw in the beans on top to cook at the last minute. Served with some other veges baked in the oven. A nice red wine will go well with this.
When we visit family we often take a contribution to the meal and vice versa when they visit, then we help serve it all together.- do others do this?
At this time of the year we use the barbie alot for cooking and eat outside.
Mar 19th, 2008, 05:41 PM
#29
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I had dinner on Rundle Street Adelaide last night - Lemongrass Bistro Thai restaurant who offer salt and pepper crocodile as an entree. Didn't try but thought it was interesting. Also caligirl www.lifestylefood.com recently did a Best Food Guide for Australia, this may help you find restaurants with particular themes.
Mar 22nd, 2008, 04:59 AM
#31
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Just to add: I live in the suburbs of Sydney (Northern Beaches) and my local butcher regularly does Crocodile, Kangaroo and Emu sausages. We once asked him to do mini ones (chippolatas) of these sausages to serve at our annual Christmas party, and by far, the emu ones were pronounced the best by our guests.
Mar 23rd, 2008, 01:36 AM
#33
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Toucan, beware of meat pies. They are often not what they seem:
The following is from Choice website in Australia who test products and compare them:
"Under the Food Standards Code, a meat pie must be at least 25% 'meat'.
The definition of meat, though, includes parts of the animal many people might not normally eat, such as:
snouts
ears
tongue roots
tendons and
blood vessels.
For some reason only offal (such as brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue, tripe) must be specified on the label.
The definition also includes body parts from animals you might not expect to be eating:
buffalo
camel
deer
goat
hare
rabbit."
A common saying here in Australia is that meat pies contain 'all the lips and a...holes'. And from the above list it seems this saying is spot on!
Enjoy!
The following is from Choice website in Australia who test products and compare them:
"Under the Food Standards Code, a meat pie must be at least 25% 'meat'.
The definition of meat, though, includes parts of the animal many people might not normally eat, such as:
snouts
ears
tongue roots
tendons and
blood vessels.
For some reason only offal (such as brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue, tripe) must be specified on the label.
The definition also includes body parts from animals you might not expect to be eating:
buffalo
camel
deer
goat
hare
rabbit."
A common saying here in Australia is that meat pies contain 'all the lips and a...holes'. And from the above list it seems this saying is spot on!
Enjoy!
Mar 23rd, 2008, 04:06 AM
#34
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The first time I ever saw kangaroo or crocodile in a supermarket was at a Super Quinn supermarket (in Dublin). That was after living my first 26 years in Australia.
I've never tasted kangaroo meat but I did have a crocodile burger once. That was when visiting the daintree rainforest as a tourist.
It's difficult to put a finger on what could really be condisered 'Australian Cuisine' and if you could I'm sure it would be different depending on the region.
I do however recall watching one of those cooking shows in Australia where the chef said, in answer to taht very question, if there is such a thing as eastern australian cuisine it would be the local seafood.
Moreton bay bugs / Prawns / Snapper / Red Emperor / Bream / Whiting / Mud Crab / Sand Crab / oyster / Baramundi / Rock lobster
To walk into a seafood restaurant in Australia is to be presented with a massive illustrated menu of fresh seafood.
Some seafood restaurants have their own trawlers to guarantee the freshness of their produce.
I haven't seen anything that comes close to measuring up this in Europe. Seafood restaurants in Ireland and the UK, even if they look fancy, are nothing but glorified fish and chip shops peddling battered cod. In the mediteranean you can get a better variety of seafood but it doesn't match the variety nor freshness of that I have experienced in Australia.
That's my experience anyway.
I've never tasted kangaroo meat but I did have a crocodile burger once. That was when visiting the daintree rainforest as a tourist.
It's difficult to put a finger on what could really be condisered 'Australian Cuisine' and if you could I'm sure it would be different depending on the region.
I do however recall watching one of those cooking shows in Australia where the chef said, in answer to taht very question, if there is such a thing as eastern australian cuisine it would be the local seafood.
Moreton bay bugs / Prawns / Snapper / Red Emperor / Bream / Whiting / Mud Crab / Sand Crab / oyster / Baramundi / Rock lobster
To walk into a seafood restaurant in Australia is to be presented with a massive illustrated menu of fresh seafood.
Some seafood restaurants have their own trawlers to guarantee the freshness of their produce.
I haven't seen anything that comes close to measuring up this in Europe. Seafood restaurants in Ireland and the UK, even if they look fancy, are nothing but glorified fish and chip shops peddling battered cod. In the mediteranean you can get a better variety of seafood but it doesn't match the variety nor freshness of that I have experienced in Australia.
That's my experience anyway.
Mar 28th, 2008, 09:03 AM
#36
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Lived there 1971-1974. Surprised by much of their food - it was very "British" and basic food. Very much like DelLemincello mentioned. Meat, potato, and 2 veggies (like baked squash or pumpkin). The fish & chips were awesome. Fish of all kinds were great. We found it very unusual that they put fried eggs on many sandwiches - like hamburgers, etc. Of course, since returning several times since 1974 the menus are much more "up-scale" and current. I still prefer the original foods. In Brisbane and Adelaide we went to many of the local places and Italian, Greek, Chinese, etc. were great. "PUB GRUB" is definitely worth doing. We thoroughly enjoy it. The ANZAC biscuits, fish/chips, cuppa, grilled sandwiches, spaghetti on toast for breakfast, asparagus on toast and beans on toast also, "chooks", lamingtons (don't particularly like myself), sponge cakes, vegemite (disgusting - but healthy), XXXX beer (Queensland) and Black Swan beer (Perth? - can't remember - anyway, delicious), eggs on hamburgers (really weird...) but we loved it all. Go to local places if you want to eat - or better, meet an Aussie and go to their house.....
Mar 28th, 2008, 02:51 PM
#38
Hi Hula,
Interesting to look back at the food of the 70's. Not surprising really that it was heavily Anglo-Saxon influenced, given our heritage.
Since then though, we've taken on the influences of all our settlers and today's 'meat & 3 veg' is far more likely to be a stir fry or a grill & salad than the roast of the day.
I think the only way you'd have been able to eat kangaroo in the 70's would probably be as you did, as I think it would have been very late 70's if not 80's before it appeared on restaurant tables.
In the mid 70's, my (then early 20's) friends & I were cooking Chinese, some Italian & French. Some I remember - (Italian)chicken 'catch a Tory', mussels in red wine, coq au vin, beouf burgundy, pears poached in red wine (is there a theme here??)for the French, Beef Stronganoff and for the big dinner party ... probably something like devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon), crab bisque, beef wellington, pommes fritte, beans almondine, and if we were really going all out - bombe alaska for the finale. All washed down with more booze than I could drink in a week now (LOL).
We were lucky to have wonderful fresh fish and yabbies (small crayfish like crustaceans) in our river. When the yabbies were really abundant, we'd experiment with all manner of recipes. My immediate favourite is simply boiled, peeled & eaten with some vinegar & salt; but when there's a freezer full, you can afford to be creative
Next best, I think, was very light beer batter. Tempura before we knew what it was (LOL)
Margaret Fulton's Cookbook (Women's Weekly, I think) and Charmain Solomon's Asian were our bibles. And, living some 3 hours from our nearest big town, improvisation was definitely the name of the game.
Interesting to look back at the food of the 70's. Not surprising really that it was heavily Anglo-Saxon influenced, given our heritage.
Since then though, we've taken on the influences of all our settlers and today's 'meat & 3 veg' is far more likely to be a stir fry or a grill & salad than the roast of the day.
I think the only way you'd have been able to eat kangaroo in the 70's would probably be as you did, as I think it would have been very late 70's if not 80's before it appeared on restaurant tables.
In the mid 70's, my (then early 20's) friends & I were cooking Chinese, some Italian & French. Some I remember - (Italian)chicken 'catch a Tory', mussels in red wine, coq au vin, beouf burgundy, pears poached in red wine (is there a theme here??)for the French, Beef Stronganoff and for the big dinner party ... probably something like devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon), crab bisque, beef wellington, pommes fritte, beans almondine, and if we were really going all out - bombe alaska for the finale. All washed down with more booze than I could drink in a week now (LOL).
We were lucky to have wonderful fresh fish and yabbies (small crayfish like crustaceans) in our river. When the yabbies were really abundant, we'd experiment with all manner of recipes. My immediate favourite is simply boiled, peeled & eaten with some vinegar & salt; but when there's a freezer full, you can afford to be creative
Next best, I think, was very light beer batter. Tempura before we knew what it was (LOL)Margaret Fulton's Cookbook (Women's Weekly, I think) and Charmain Solomon's Asian were our bibles. And, living some 3 hours from our nearest big town, improvisation was definitely the name of the game.
Mar 28th, 2008, 05:33 PM
#39
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Bokhara, I still have my first Charmain Solomon cooking book on SE Asia - published by Paul Hamlyn, 1972. We thought it wonderful when she opened a spice shop in Cremorne, saved having to drive all the way to Dixon St from Avalon.
I think SA was the first state to allow kangaroo meat for human consumption; although we'd fed it to our dogs for years. Maggie Beer, from memory, led the cause.
I think SA was the first state to allow kangaroo meat for human consumption; although we'd fed it to our dogs for years. Maggie Beer, from memory, led the cause.
