: Part I

Game can be divided into two categories: furred and feathered. Although many of the various species classified as game are hunted in the wild, some during limited seasons, there is a growing demand for breeders to create a regular supply for the table. Sometimes breeding produces valuable spin offs; not only can the be sold for culinary purposes, but hides and other produce are also a significant source of income. hides and velvet, and ostrich skins, furs, goat hair and goats' or sheep's milk can all be marketed. Alternatively, the meat itself can be a byproduct of one of these industries.

Part I on Game covers the following section:

* Furred game o o Deer o Goat o Hare o o Rabbit o Water buffalo

Furred game

Free range meat caught in the wild has a gamey flavour which is attractive to many, but excessively strong tastes deter some and are often difficult for the cook to marry in with other ingredients. Free range, farm raised meat may still have a gamey flavour (albeit milder), but because the animal has not had to fend for itself the meat will be somewhat more tender than that of animals caught in the wild. This is the major advantage of farm raised animals, along with the fact that a more regular supply of meat can be established. On a number of occasions I have been given wild duck which look potentially palate-pleasing but vary wildly in taste and texture, from mild and tender to strong and oily. Specimens which are rather tough may be old birds, or perhaps ones which have faced a head wind for most of their lives! Such are the risks with hunted meat. The growing demand for more readily available meat of consistently high quality is an incentive to both retailers and breeders to stock and develop an ever widening range of game birds and animals.

Preparing game for the table Preparing game before cooking it is extremely important for the final result. Buffalo, and hare benefit from being placed in a marinade before cooking. This helps to tenderise the meat by breaking down the fibres in it. Sometimes a little of the marinade can be added to the sauce to enhance the flavours of the dish. Papain, the proteolytic enzyme contained in papaw, is a useful tenderising agent for game and other tough meat. It can be bought in dried and powdered form, or the fresh fruit can be pureed and spread over the meat for a few hours, then rinsed off before cooking.

Bison

An enterprising Victorian farmer, Ashley Brown of Corryong, has imported stocks of in order to breed them for the table. This is the first time that bison have been imported for commercial purposes; before this the animals have been brought in only as stock for zoos. Having studied the animals in Canada, Ashley believes that they have the potential to supply good quality, low cholesterol and low meat, high in essential amino acids and iron, and with a rich but not gamey flavour. Bison offer an additional attraction in that they are hardy, low maintenance animals. They have dark brown coats with a shaggy mane and short, curved horns. Their coat fur is very fine (19 microns) and both hides with fur on and leather are potential sources of income for bison farmers.

Preparing bison for the table Bison cuts are similar to cuts, except for some forequarter cuts, such as the hump roast. The meat does not marble like beef, but is a rich, dark colour almost brown. It is lean meat which will tend to shrink when cooked. It is best to roast bison at a lower temperature than would be used for beef, in order to retain the moistness and juiciness of the meat and to avoid shrinkage. Bison cooked to the well done stage at high temperatures will probably be dry and fairly tough. For example, a beef cut which would be roasted at 160C to produce a medium doneness would, as bison, be roasted at 135C. Grill or pan fry bison , seared slightly first then cooked at a lower heat. This will produce a tender and succulent result. Minced bison is suitable for rissoles, terrines and the like.

Deer

Deer (Cervidae sp) were brought to in the early 1800s and are now commercially farmed. It is not only the meat which is prized, the velvet - a blood rich growing stage of the antlers - is used in oriental medicines and commands high prices. Stags shed their antlers each year and tend to scrape off the velvet from maturing antlers on bushes and trees. In farmed deer, this tissue and the antlers themselves are removed while the animal is under sedation. In this way the velvet can be collected while it is still soft and rich in blood vessels and the males can be prevented from injuring one another in territorial and mating disputes. Farmed species consist mainly of fallow deer (Dama dama), rusa (Cervus timorensis), red (Cervus elaphus), chital (Axis axis) and sambar deer (Cervus unicolour). Another species, the wapiti (Cervus candadensis), which is actually an elk of North American origin, breeds well with the red deer, producing large offspring. The wapiti is twice the size of the red deer, produces excellent fat-free venison and yields up to four times the amount of velvet. The Chinese have known the deer for at least 2000 years and the Chinese god of longevity is always accompanied by a spotted deer, a symbol of the deer's medicinal value. Modern Chinese medicine still recognises the value of deer products, including velvet, tails and intestines, and the demand for such products is high. A joint venture has been set up, involving Australian Deer Producers and Associates and the China National Medicines and Health Products Import and Exports Corporation. It is being conducted in Australia by Denis White of Black Stag Deer Farm in Goulburn, New South Wales.

Preparing venison for the table Venison is reputedly the 'meat of kings'. It has a lower fat content than beef or lamb, with a high protein level and excellent flavour. The older the deer, the darker the meat, thus the wapiti deer, which is killed for the table at 12 months old, has lighter flesh than other species. Although the colour of the flesh is related to the age of the beast, it does not necessarily follow that darker coloured meat will be tough. Deer fat is not very palatable, so trim all visible fat off venison before cooking. Because it is lean, venison is often marinated or larded with fat. This is certainly necessary for animals caught in the wild, but farmed venison is more tender and this step may safely be skipped. Farmed meat also requires less cooking time - a 1 1/2 kg joint should be cooked for about 1 1/2 hours at 180C, or until the juices run clear. The same size joint of venison caught in the wild must be cooked for 3 to 4 hours at 160C. Various cuts of venison are used, with the being the most prized. Shoulder and leg meat are used in casseroles, pies, soups, terrines and . Traditional accompaniments for venison are potatoes, chestnuts, red cabbage and berry and citrus-based sauces. Cured fillet of venison, sliced thinly like prosciutto , is excellent served with fresh melon or wrapped around crunchy slices of nashi or tiny faccia bella pears (sometimes known as sugar pears).

* Recipe: Venison with lingonberries These Swedish meatballs are excellent with lingonberries: small, acidic, red berries imported from Sweden and available preserved in jars from specialty food shops. Cranberries may be substituted if lingonberries are not available.

300 g minced venison 200 g pork and mince 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten 1/2 tspn salt 1/2 tspn allspice

SAUCE 500 ml good beef stock, well reduced 1 tblspn tomato paste 100 g preserved lingonberries (or cranberries) salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and shape into small balls. Place in a greased baking dish and cook for 10 to 12 minutes at 200C. To prepare sauce: Combine all ingredients and heat. The sauce may be served with the cooked meatballs or poured over the raw meatballs and baked with them. In the latter case, make the meatballs a little larger and cook them, covered, for 30 minutes in the sauce. Serve with rice, or potato and red cabbage. Suggested Wine: Chandon Cuvee Riche

* Recipe: Venison pie This dish requires eight individual souffle or pie dishes.

80 g butter 1.5 kg venison, cubed 100 g pieces 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 onions, cut finely 2 carrots, sliced 150 g mushrooms 375 ml red wine 500 ml venison or beef stock 2 tblspns tomato paste 3 tblspns redcurrant jelly grated zest 1 orange 1/2 tspn allspice 1/2 tspn cinnamon 4 juniper berries, crushed salt and pepper to taste 500 g puff pastry

Melt the butter in a large pan and soften the onions in it. Add the venison, bacon and garlic, stirring well to brown the meat. Add all other ingredients except the pastry and simmer until the meat is tender, about l 1/2 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cooked, transfer to individual dishes and top with circles of puff pastry. Prick the pastry with a fork and glaze with an egg wash. Bake in an oven preheated to 200C for approximately 25 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked and golden. Serve immediately, with a bowl of hot vegetables, such as potatoes, baby squash, brussel sprouts and red cabbage Suggested Wine: 2003 Diamond Valley Vineyard Blue Label Pinot Noir

Goat

Few goats (Capra sp) are bred for the table in Australia, but feral goats are often slaughtered for their meat. Some goats, bred for their hair and their milk, are later killed for culinary purposes. Goats are difficult to contain in captivity - but damage the environment if let loose - are disease-prone and are sensitive to cold weather, making commercial breeding a difficult prospect. Live goats which are exported to the Middle East and later bred for the table are mostly of feral origin. Kid is a traditional dish for the Greek Easter and is also popular in Italian cooking, but in Australia, where supplies are limited, lamb is often substituted. Kid is similar to veal in both colour and blandness of flavour, so spices are added to stuffings and sauces in dishes of goat. The texture of the meat is similar to lamb and most recipes for lamb can be adapted for kid. A small amount of goats' meat is used in the production of some .

* Recipe: Spiced casserole of kid The sauce in this recipe may be enriched with a little cream if desired. For a further variation, the dish may be transferred to a pie shell and cooked for a further 25 minutes at 200C, until the pastry is cooked and golden on top.

50 g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 kg diced grated rind 1/2 lemon 1 small bulb fennel, sliced 12 black olives, chopped 1/2 tspn ground ginger 1 tspn allspice 1 tblspn chopped parsley 100 g tomato paste 250 ml white wine salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter and gently fry the onions and garlic. Add the meat and brown lightly. Add the other ingredients and, if necessary, a little extra water to cover the meat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the meat is tender. Serve with hot vegetables. Suggested Wine: 2002 Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir

* Recipe: Leg of kid with quince stuffing A specially dish of Sardinia is spit-roasted whole suckling on a bed of myrtle leaves (Myrtus communis). These aromatic leaves impart flavour to the meat and also work well if used with kid. Domestic cooks can prepare this dish in the oven, rather than on a spit roast, but as a whole kid would be too large, a leg is the preferred joint. Those without access to myrtle leaves can forego this ingredient and still prepare a delicious and unusual dish.

1 boned leg of kid, 1 to 1.5kg

STUFFING 1 medium quince, peeled and cored 2 tblspns of sugar 1 leek 20 g butter 50 g pine nuts 30 g bacon, finely chopped 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg salt and pepper to taste sprigs of myrtle, optional

To prepare the stuffing: Cut the quince into fine dice and simmer in a little water with the sugar until cooked, but not too soft. Finely chop the leek and saute gently in butter until soft. Remove from heat. Toast the pine nuts and allow to cool. Fry the bacon pieces and drain on absorbent paper.

When all the ingredients are cool, add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste and bind with beaten egg. Place the stuffing mix in the leg cavity of the kid and secure the opening with toothpicks or string. If using the myrtle, place the sprigs over the leg and tie with string. Roast the leg at 190C for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until tender. Remove from the pan and allow to stand for 10 minutes in a warm place before carving.

Serve with the pan juices, or a little concentrated stock made from the bones, enriched with some quince jelly for a final glaze. Accompany with pasta flavoured with a little butter and some herbs, some fresh chestnuts or sauteed mushrooms. Give each diner a bowl of interesting salad leaves. Suggested Wine: 2003 Narkoojee Reserve Chardonnay

Hare

Hares are members of the Leporidae family and are native to Europe. While many people associate them with , they are very different animals: rabbits burrow, but hares live on top of the ground on plains and in grass; rabbits have shorter ears and legs than hares: hares have much larger feet; and, unlike rabbits, hares give birth to fully furred young with open eyes. The male hare is a buck, the female a doe and a young hare (under 1 year) is a leveret. It is the last which is best for the table. Young hares have smooth coats and slender paws, and their claws are hidden under their fur. Older hares have long claws and wavy, matted coats which tend to grey. It is illegal in Australia to breed hares for the table, but the red, distinctively gamey meat of the wild hare is considered a delicacy. Hares do not breed as prolifically as rabbits and the meat is not as readily available.

Preparing hare for the table Hares are often hung to mature the flesh. This involves hanging the intact animal (that is, unskinned and ungutted) by the hind legs for a week, or slightly longer in cool temperatures. The animal should be hung outside, in a place with good air circulation, and protected from flies and other pests. Sometimes the blood of the hare is collected and used in cooking, particularly in the famous jugged hare, but the strong flavour can be too dominating for palates unaccustomed to the taste. In any case, most hare in Australia is bought cleaned, skinned and prepared for the table. It is best to marinate hare overnight before cooking. A marinade based on red wine flavoured with spices and herbs is best. Juniper goes particularly well with hare. The meat can be dry, so larding it with pork fat is also sensible. Good accompaniments for hare are clean flavoured, slightly acidic jellies such as rowanberry or redcurrant. In the south-west Basque area of France and in Spanish cooking, bitter chocolate is often used to enrich sauces, providing surprisingly good results with hare.

* Recipe: Hare with chocolate sauce 2 oz butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 carrot, sliced 1 hare, cleaned and jointed bouquet garni 1 tspn salt 1 tspn ground cloves 2 crushed juniper berries 300 ml red wine 60 g bitter chocolate, grated

Melt the butter, add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the carrot and hare, and continue to cook until the meat is browned. Add spices, salt and wine, and top up with water until the hare is covered. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the hare is tender. Remove the hare and keep warm. Reduce the stock a little if necessary, then add chocolate, stirring well until it melts. Strain the sauce and pour over the hare. Serve hot, with fresh vegetables. Suggested Wine: Peter Rumball SB 14 Sparkling Shiraz

* Recipe: Cold ballottine of hare This dish requires lengthy preparation, which begins 2 days before the dish is to be served.

1 hare, boned

STUFFING 50 g sweetbreads 1 lamb's tongue 50 g pork and veal mince 50 g minced chicken 2 chicken livers (or the from the hare) 50 g minced hare meat 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tblspn roasted pine nuts 1 tblspn currants 1 sprig thyme 1 egg, beaten 1 tblspn brandy 1 tblspn breadcrumbs salt and pepper to taste

STOCK 1 onion 1 carrot 1 stalk celery bouquet garni 2 pig's trotters carcass of hare 2 egg whites

To prepare stuffing: Prepare the sweetbreads and remove all membrane. Chop finely. Skin and chop the tongue. Combine the sweetbread and tongue with all other stuffing ingredients, mixing well.

To assemble ballottine: Lay the hare out flat and place the stuffing mix in the centre. Wrap the hare around to form a neat roll. Place the roll in cheesecloth and secure with string at the ends and along the centre, making a uniform shape.

To prepare stock: Chop the vegetables and place in a pot with the herbs, trotters and hare carcass. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Strain the stock and put the hare 'sausage' into it. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Allow the hare 'sausage' to cool in the stock, then remove and refrigerate. Tip the stock into a clean bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Skim any solidified fat from the top of the stock and carefully pour into a saucepan, being careful to leave any sediment in the bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cold stock.

Bring to the boil (use a large pan to avoid boiling over), then simmer for 3/4 of an hour to an hour, until the stock is well reduced. Carefully strain the stock through a thick cheesecloth or tea towel, and allow to cool. If the stock does not begin to set when cool, return to the heat in a clean pan and reduce further.

Slice the ballottine into serving portions and place on a flat tray. When the stock is almost set, spoon over the sliced ballottine to glaze. Any remaining stock can be poured into a flat based, shallow dish and allowed to set completely.

Place a slice of ballottine on each plate and serve with a little chutney or relish (green mango, rhubarb and mulberry are all good), a few tiny salad leaves and a cornichon or pickled date for added texture. Unmould the jellied stock and chop into pieces. Place a little of this on each plate as an added garnish. Suggested Wine: 2002 Bress Chardonnay

Kangaroo

The culling of kangaroo (Macropus sp) for culinary and other purposes is a controversial subject in Australia, and perhaps this is one reason why kangaroo meat is not readily available for the table. Profiting from the killing of native animals is frowned upon by many, especially if the animal is a much loved national symbol. Ironically, most of the kangaroo meat sold in Australia goes as pet meat, and this creates a further barrier in the minds of many. Kangaroo meat destined for human consumption must meet strict standards of processing in commercial abattoirs. At the time of writing, Jesser in Springfield, South Australia, was the only legal processing plant for kangaroo meat intended for human consumption. The meat, produced by the plant as hindquarter cuts, including fillet, saddle and a 'porterhouse', the tail and minced meat, can only be sold for human consumption in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Other states are considering the situation, which may change in the near future. Kangaroo meat intended for human consumption must meet strict guidelines. The animals are killed, bled and eviscerated in the field and then the carcasses transferred to a field chiller which cools and holds them at below 7C to ensure their wholesomeness. They are then boned and packaged by Jesser Meats, which is subject to regular inspections by health authorities. Very little kangaroo meat is seen in retail outlets and its future as a table delicacy does not seem bright. Kangaroo seems likely to continue to appear as a novelty rather than a staple on Australian menus.

Preparing kangaroo for the table Kangaroo meat is very lean and has what seems to be the lowest cholesterol levels of all red meats. The flesh is deep red colour, similar to venison. Some recipe books which feature Australiana sections include recipes for stewed and casseroled kangaroo tail, along with the traditional kangaroo tail soup, which is cooked very much like oxtail soup. Long, slow cooking is the best for kangaroo meat. The recipe for oxtail brawn would work well with kangaroo.

* Recipe: Kangaroo loaf 1 small lamb's fry 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 500 g kangaroo mince 150 g bacon pieces 3 eggs 1 tspn salt 1/2 tspn allspice 1 tspn marjoram 1 tspn thyme 2 cups breadcrumbs 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped 125 ml brandy bacon rashers to cover top

Place lamb's fry, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. Combine with all other ingredients except the bacon rashers and place in a greased, foil-lined tin. Top with the bacon rashers and cover with foil. Bake at 180C for 1 1/2 hours. The loaf may be served hot as a main dish, or allowed to cool and served sliced, like a terrine, with an accompaniment of pickles, such as crab apples, pears or dates, or with a fruit- based chutney or relish. Suggested Wine: 2004 Mr Riggs The Gaffer Shiraz

* Recipe: Kangaroo casserole 750 g diced kangaroo meat 2 onions, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed a little butter 1/4 tspn chilli powder or cayenne pepper 1/2 tspn allspice 250 g tomato paste 250 ml red wine 250 ml water 1 red capsicum, diced 100 g mushrooms salt to taste

Saute the meat, onion and garlic in a little butter until the meat is browned. Add spices, tomato paste, wine and water and cook gently until tender - about 1 hour. Add the capsicum and mushrooms and cook a further 25 to 30 minutes. Thicken with a little flour if necessary. Suggested Wine: 2003 Veritas Winery Christa Rolf Shiraz Grenache

Rabbit

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), originally native to Europe, were introduced into Australia in the middle of the 1800s and reached plague proportions in the first half of this century. Only the introduction of the rabbit plague myxomatosis brought numbers down to a controllable level. Rabbits are smaller than hares and have shorter legs and ears. They are burrowing animals and profuse breeders, with the main breeding season lasting from spring to autumn. Younger rabbits are preferred for the table because of their more tender flesh. Rabbits have white flesh which is lean and very low in cholesterol and calories, but high in protein. The flesh tends to be redder in animals which come from coastal areas, while those from drier inland regions have softer, pinker flesh. The Nullarbor Plain and areas of South Australia produce the best quality rabbits for the table. Because it is illegal in Australia to breed rabbits for food, most rabbits sold as meat have been shot during night hunts. Some people avoid eating rabbit because they are afraid that the animal may have suffered from myxomatosis, however the disease is easily detected in the rabbit's carcass as it shows up as white spots on the liver. Any animals shot in the wild displaying this sign should be discarded uneaten. Professional processors are constantly on the alert for signs of the disease and the consumer can be confident that rabbits bought from commercial outlets will be free of it. Australia now has its first 'rabbitoir' and export meatworks, thanks to Robin Swift, a from Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, whose family was among the first farmer settlers in the area. The family business dates back to the early part of this century, and Mr Swift's company, Bold Ridge Exports, has now invested a million dollars in the rabbit processing works, which is similar to a chicken processing plant.

The main requirement for the 'rabbitoir' is a constant supply of top quality rabbits and, as Australia's rabbit population seems to be heading for a new peak, the business obviously has great potential. Bold Ridge relies on the wild rabbit population and is supplied by contract shooters, with particular emphasis on northern New South Wales, from Broken Hill to the Queensland border. Rabbits from this area are said to be rangier in flavour and are the preferred export product. The majority of rabbits prepared at the factory are exported to Asia, Europe and the Americas, usually in vacuum packs. Frozen rabbits are shipped in containers to various overseas destinations. Australian rabbits are large (a dressed rabbit weighs around 800 g) and very lean. The meat is white and succulent without being fatty (a whole rabbit reputedly delivers only 300 calories), so it is not surprising that they are sought after products on the export market. The Australian consumer can also buy a range of quality rabbit meat from Bold Ridge, including marinated rabbit steaks and packs.

There is great interest in the commercial breeding of table rabbits in Australia. This would take place in air-conditioned sheds, sealed to prevent the entry of disease-carrying insects. No vaccines or growth hormones would be used and the animals could be bred for both meat and fur. The animals would be so isolated from wild populations, and thus so vulnerable to disease and pests, that they could not survive in the wild and therefore would present no threat to farmers. At the moment, however, such schemes can only be planned and talked about, as government regulations expressly forbid the commercial breeding of rabbits in Australia.

Preparing rabbit for the table Rabbit must be processed as soon as possible after it is caught. If it is left to hang, as is sometimes done with hare, the flesh will rot rather than mature. It must, then, be skinned and gutted immediately.

It is not necessary to marinate rabbit, which is a very versatile meat that lends itself to a variety of cooking methods. Casseroles of jointed pieces are popular. Fillets can be included in pies or, with the fine silvery membrane removed, quickly pan fried or barbequed, perhaps with a creamy mustard sauce or a white wine sauce with almonds. A whole rabbit is often stuffed with a herb mixture and roasted, then served with traditional roasted vegetables. Rabbit fillet can be used in the smoked and fettucine dish; simply dice and saute 600 g of rabbit fillets and substitute them for the smoked trout in the recipe. Rabbit liver, treated exactly like chicken liver, makes a delicate pate, and smoked rabbit, thinly sliced, is a delicious hors d'oeuvre or an excellent addition to pasta or a salad.

* Recipe: Rabbit pate 500 g rabbit fillet 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed sprig of thyme 125 g unsalted butter (preferably Kiewa butter) salt and pepper to taste madeira or brandy

Remove all membrane from the rabbit and chop into small pieces. Lightly fry the onion and garlic then add the rabbit and thyme and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Put the meat and onion into a food processor and process with the salt, pepper, butter and enough madeira or brandy to obtain a smooth consistency. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with salad greens, slices of toast, some sliced nashi or crisp pear, and mayonnaise flavoured with horseradish and mustard. Suggested Wine: Seppelt Oloroso D.P. 38 Sherry

* Recipe: Rabbit and ox tongue sausage 2 rabbits 1 fresh oxtongue 1 onion, finely chopped 1 sprig thyme 1 egg, beaten salt and pepper to taste

COOKING STOCK 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, sliced 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 sprig each of thyme, parsley, marjoram 1 tspn salt 750 ml white wine

SAUCE STOCK bones and carcasses of the rabbits 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, sliced 1 stalk celery, chopped sprig parsley 50 g butter

FOR SAUCE 100 ml cream 1 to 2 tblspns grain mustard

Bone the rabbits and remove all membranes from the flesh. Reserve the carcasses for the sauce. Mince the meat finely. Remove the skin from the ox tongue, cut into pieces and mince. Combine the meats in a bowl, add the onion, thyme, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Put the mixture onto cheesecloth and shape into a large sausage. Tie the ends securely and tie string at various intervals along the sausage. Bring the cooking stock ingredients to the boil and carefully add the sausage. If the stock does not cover the sausage completely, top it up with boiling water. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 hours.

To prepare sauce: Brown the rabbit carcasses in the oven in a little butter. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, add the vegetables and brown well. Add the carcasses and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming well at intervals. Strain the stock and place in a fresh saucepan, then reduce until about 400 ml remains. Add the cream and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.Season to taste and add the mustard, being careful not to overwhelm the other flavours.

To serve: Remove the sausage from the stock and let it stand on a rack for a few minutes to drain. Carefully cut the string and remove the cloth. Place the sausage on a board and cut into slices 3 cm thick, allowing 1 per person. Place a piece of sausage on each plate and mask it with mustard sauce. Serve with tiny baby potatoes in their jackets with a little melted butter, or a hot potato salad and some green lentils. Suggested Wine: 2001 Journeys End Vineyards Ascent Shiraz

Water buffalo

Until recently the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) which roam parts of the Northern Territory in quite large numbers had not been considered as meat for the table. This is perhaps surprising since the buffalo was introduced from Asia in 1824. Milk from the water buffalo was originally used to make mozzarella cheese in Italy. Specialty food shops now offer buffalo eye fillet, either whole or cut into steaks. Other cuts are also sold, but the eye fillet is the most tender. The meat is extremely lean and that from older animals has a colour similar to but somewhat darker than beef. Meat from animals under three years old is a lighter, pinkish colour. The fillets are about the same size as large fillets of beef. The meat is now in demand, both for the local and the export market, and both feral and farmed animals are used to supply for the table.

Preparing water buffalo for the table For the best results, marinate buffalo meat before cooking it. This can be done in oil or, for extra flavour, a mixture of oil and red wine along with a few freshly chopped herbs of your choice. Leave the meat in the marinade overnight, turning two or three times.

Cook the whole fillet in a covered baking dish at 200C for 1 1/2 hours, to 1 3/4 hours, a little less if you prefer the meat slightly pink. A rich wine sauce incorporating a little of the marinade is a fitting accompaniment. For an interesting variation, glaze the meat with some redcurrant or rowanberry jelly towards the end of the cooking time. Likewise, some fruit jelly added to a good beef-stock-based sauce will enhance the flavour even further.

* Recipe: Buffalo steaks with rowanberry glaze Marinate the steaks overnight in red wine, a little olive oil and some fresh herbs.

1 buffalo , 2 cm thick, per person rowanberry jelly

Pan fry the steaks in a little butter, as you would for eye fillet of beef, timing them to be rare, medium or well done according to taste. In a separate pan, heat the rowanberry jelly until it has melted. To serve, simply place the meat on individual warm serving plates and glaze with some of the melted jelly. Accompany with steamed seasonal vegetables and an onion confit. Suggested Wine: 2002 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon