ROOCIPES80 of Australia’s best Kangaroo recipes ROOCIPES80 of Australia’s best Kangaroo recipes 3 CONTENTS 30 Vic Cherickoff INTRODUCTION TO KANGAROO • EGG, BACON AND KANGAROO ROLL 6 Mel Nathan INTRODUCTION 31 Marian Benardis Greekalicious 7 ENVIRONMENT • KANGAROO WITH TRAHANA AND HONEY CARAMALISED ONIONS 8 COOKING GUIDE 10 ROO WINNERS ARE GRINNERS 32 Mark Bayliss Unilever Food Solutions • SMOKED KANGAROO WITH FIG AND CORIANDER CHUTNEY 12 KANGAROO ON YOUR PLATE MATE 14 CORDON ROO AT KAM FOOK Daniel Ridgeway The Little Truffle 16 HOP TO IT! 33 • SPHERE OF PEA AND KANGAROO • FLOWER KANGAROO 17 CHEFS EXAMINATION – KANGAROO • KANGAROO TERRINE • 12 HOUR KANGAROO LOIN • KANGAROO RAVIOLI • KANGAROO ASSIETTE 18 A TASTE OF KANGAROO 42 Lindy Milan & Ian Hemphill • ASIAN-STYLE KANGAROO FILLETS CELEBRITY CHEF ROOCIPES 44 Ian Oakes & Alasdair Nicholson Grand National Restaurant 20 Sean Connolly Sean’s Kitchen & Astral Restaurant • SEARED KANGAROO LOIN, Shawarma SPICE WITH PICKLED BEETROOT, • KANGAROO TartarE CHICKPEA PUREE, ROASTED KIPFLERS AND ROSEmary salt 46 Gary Johnson Sydney Hilton John Leong Kam Fook Restaurant 22 • CONSOMME WITH KANGAROO RAVIOLI AND TOMATO PICKLE • KANGAROO FRIED GEE MA DUMPLING • THAI RED KANGAROO Curry 49 Farzan Contractor The Meat & Wine Company Darren Ho Chi Restaurant 23 • MERLOT MARINATED KANGAROO STEAK WITH wasabi MASH • KANGAROO CHAR SUI BAO • KANGAROO LOIN WITH parsNIP PUREE ROSEmary AND SPINACH PESTO 52 Craig Squire Red Ochre Grill Jean-Paul Bruneteau Deep Blue Bistro 24 • KANGAROO WITH QUANDONG CHILLI SAUCE WITH SWEET POtatO • BRAISED KANGAROO SHANK AND BOK CHOY Craig Macindoe Mumu Grill 25 Raymond Kersch Edna’s at Your Table 54 • KANGAROO RUMP ON ROASTED PUMPKIN WITH BEETROOT RELISH • ENOKI MUSHROOMS WRAPPED IN LOIN OF KANGAROO IN PANDANUS LEAF SAUCE • KANGAROO TartlET WITH WattlESEED AND MACADAMIA DUKKAH • KANGAROO WITH CORN AND NORI BON BONS • MINaturE KANGAROO FILET MIGNON WRAPPED IN PROSCUITTO 56 Felix Halter V Zug Gourmet Academy • PAPERBARK SMOKED KANGAROO 28 Tony Bilson Bilson’s Restaurant • MEDALLION OF KANGAROO WITH ESCHALLOTS 58 INDEX OF RECIPES 4 5 INTRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT MEL NATHAN any people are already aware of the health Good for you – Mbenefits associated with eating kangaroo meat. good for the environment Kangaroo is a very lean red meat that has less than 2% fat content, it is very low in saturated fat and trans fat, which helps lower cholesterol. It has also been Craig Squire is the executive chef and managing ere’s one type of meat unique to Australia which revealed that kangaroo meat may be the highest director of the award-winning Red Ochre Grill His lean, green and as good for the environment known source of the healthy fat CLA (conjugated in Cairns. as it is for you. It’s kangaroo, and it’s appearing more linoleic acids), a naturally occurring fatty acid found and more on Australian restaurant tables. Kangaroo It specialises in Australian seafood, game meat, bush primarily in the meat and dairy products of ruminants meat gets the thumbs up on a wide variety of food, and regional Australian cuisine, and kangaroo and have been shown to reduce obesity and heart nutrition fronts. It’s a terrific source of high-quality has been a best-selling item on his menu for more disease as well as having anticarcinogenic properties. protein, low in total fat (with less than 2% fat), than a decade. “Kangaroo meat is a wonderfully Kangaroos can have as much as five times more CLA in low in saturated fat and a source of heart-friendly easy and healthy barbecue meat, but it’s best served their fat than other animals. omega-3s. medium rare, or rare, because having almost no fat it But what people might not be aware of is the What’s more, it’s a particularly rich source of iron and can dry out if over cooked,” says Squire. environmental benefits that eating kangaroo meat zinc, plus an important source of several B-group “When we serve grilled fillet in the restaurant, we also has. Firstly, kangaroos are soft-footed animals, so vitamins, namely riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and cook it whole and serve it sliced with a sauce as an damage to the land is far less than that of sheep and vitamin B12. accompaniment. This allows the customer to eat cattle. Kangaroos also need less food than sheep and cattle, and can better adapt to drought conditions. But Aside from its environmental advantages, kangaroo the meat ‘straight’ to appreciate the flavour and texture.” apart from these reasons, in more recent findings, it is lean, inexpensive, quick and easy to cook, versatile has been reported that eating kangaroo meat can help and flexible. Squire says another bonus of cooking with kangaroo reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Methane emissions is that there’s no sinew in the meat, and it’s relatively Historically, kangaroos played an important role in from farm animals account for about a quarter of inexpensive to purchase. The wide variety of cuts the survival of Australia’s indigenous peoples. the world’s greenhouse gas production. Kangaroos available also provides chefs with the opportunity of feed on the same sorts of grass as cattle and sheep Aborigines hunted kangaroos for tens of thousands cooking many ways. Popular techniques for prime but produce very little or no methane gas. Therefore of years, for both meat and skins, and when cuts include pan frying at high temperatures, rare choosing kangaroo meat over other meats as part of Europeans arrived in the late 18th century, they also roasting on a high heat, barbecuing, char-grilling your every day diet, is recommended to help save the depended on its meat for survival. and stir-frying. But it can also be marinated in world from global warming. This climate friendly meat Asian pastes and curry sauces for grilling. Squire’s Kangaroo harvesting is carried out under the can be a small way in which we can lessen the impact recommendations include vindaloo, korma, hoi sin strict environmental controls provided by the our food sources have on our environment. Report and tandoori. federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity author of “Paths to a Low Carbon Future” Dr Mark Conservation Act 1999. Most come from New South It would seem the future of kangaroo meat in haute Diesendorf said reducing beef consumption by 20 per cent and putting Skippy on the dinner plate instead Wales and Queensland, with smaller numbers from cuisine is assured. There’s a growing demand for would cut 15 megatonnes of greenhouses gases from Western Australia and South Australia. native Australian flavours being used at home and overseas, and for many people it’s only natural that the atmosphere by 2020. The fact that kangaroos aren’t herded together in kangaroo has “hopped” on to the back of this trend. Macro Meats Gourmet Game produce a variety of close confines, transported, or have food withheld kangaroo products from our premium 98% fat free from them makes a big difference to the final quality “I believe kangaroo has significant global potential kangaroo fillets, to our famous gluten free kanga of the meat. Kangaroos are the ultimate free-range as a food source,” says Squire. “It’s also healthy and bangas, which are a healthy option for your next BBQ. animals. They’re not farmed, but are “harvested” in it tastes great - for meat lovers especially, it’s a win- It is important that we encourage our children and our the wild by licensed hunters. win situation.” generation to have a healthy diet and to look after our Kangaroo has a unique flavour, a major factor in its Open the book… And cook… environment, therefore education and offering healthy rise from ‘’bush tucker’’ to modern day haute cuisine. May your days, months, years fill with good tastes… food options is essential for their future. The intensity of the meat ranges from subtle (young animals) to distinctively gamey (older animals). It is fine textured and soft, and can hold its own with Report source: Paths to a Low Carbon Future, commissions aromatic spices, pepper, chili and garlic. Mel Nathan by Green Peace. 6 7 COOKING GUIDE KANGAROO COOKING TIPS KANGAROO COOKING REFERENCE GUIDE angaroo meat products can be prepared in a • Always make sure pan or BBQ hotplate is HOT Kvariety of dishes using various cooking methods. SUGGESTED CUTS COOKING METHOD COOKING TIMES Generally fat content in other meats mean they • For steaks and fillets cook on high heat for approx can be cooked to a well-done state. In comparison 3 minutes each side. If you are cooking thicker kangaroo meat, because of its low fat content can pieces, cook for a further 2-3 minutes, depending 3-4 minutes per side (medium rare) dry out during the cooking process. It is therefore on thickness. Remove from heat, cover with foil Steaks, Fillets Pan fry, BBQ, Oven Or once sealed, can be transferred recommended to not overcook kangaroo meat to and rest meat for 5 minutes before serving. Best to oven for 10min retain moisture and flavour. served medium rare 4 minutes each side Some flavours that go particularly well with kangaroo • Steaks and fillets should be cooked quickly and Marinated Steaks Pan fry, BBQ meat are: garlic, rosemary, juniper, mountain pepper on very high heat, this will keep the meat tender (can be cooked to medium) (or pepper) and fruity flavours such as - plum, red and prevent it from drying out. Firstly the meat currant, quandong or orange. Although it is easy to should be soaked in oil for at least 15 minutes prior Kebabs Pan fry, BBQ 2-3 mins per side adapt most meat recipes and replace other meats to cooking.