What’s Up Skip; Want to eat an Aussie Icon?
By Jackie McMillan
jackie@alternativemediagroup.com
I’m not totally new to eating kangaroo, but I will admit that until very recently I still wasn’t going to restaurants and ordering it by choice. Nor if I’m to be honest, was I buying up big on kangaroo at the butcher. However in coming months, I’m about to make an effort to change that. My shift in perspective is mostly thanks to the wonderful cooking of Chef John Leong and his cohort Chef Darren Ho at a lunch promoting our Aussie icon at Kam Fook Restaurant in Bondi Junction.
The lunch gave us a look at kangaroo across a banquet of Asian inspired dishes, with Skippy coming up trumps as a not-so-humble won ton with coriander and shitake, floating in a broth of kangaroo tail. Whilst many of my dining companions reached for the sauces as a reflex to counter the slick-tongued effects pork won tons usually provide, I am amazed to report that an unadulterated nibble proved that no defensive saucing was required. The lack of fatty residue comes from the fact that kangaroo is a lean, low fat red meat, high in protein and iron, with a single serve providing up to 46% of your daily iron requirement.
In John Leong‘s talented hands, kangaroo was neither too strong in odour nor too gamey in flavour; across a variety of dishes encompassing everything from a spring roll (choon-kun) to an excellent, flaky kangaroo pie (doy-shee). If you need convincing, all the dishes I tried are now permanent features on the Kam Fook menu. It’s best to ring prior to your visit though, because until we’ve all got over our hurdle at eating Skippy in all sorts of ways, they’ll make these dishes for you by request only. If you’re looking for a slightly less unusual way of getting on the kangaroo gravy train, Executive Chef David Clarke at Chophouse has a Kangaroo Burger ($12) on his menu, featuring house-made BBQ sauce, chilli jam, Bangalow sweet speck, aioli and chard leaf.
I took home some kangaroo to see what we’d make of it in our own kitchen. For our first attempt, we came up with a very credible spaghetti bolognaise. Our ‘Skip-Bol’ as it was quickly named showed off the meat’s flavour without completely dominating the rich tomato base. As a home cook, kangaroo is quite easy to work with, with the only trick being that since kangaroo meat is so lean, you have to be a little more careful about cooking it too much and having it dry out. You can of course speak to your own butcher about how to add kangaroo to your menu, or perhaps check out the recipes and cooking hints on the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia‘s website.
If that all sounds too much like work, check out the new Market Pride range of foolproof fish products from the folks at Sydney Fish Markets. They’ve taken the hassle out of cooking a fish fillet to perfection by making their School Whiting, Atlantic Salmon, Mediterranean Morwong and Silver Warehou into succulent sausages that just need some clever saucing to shine in a healthy, simple meal. The simplicity motif carries to other products in the range including School Whiting and Silver Warehou Fish Cakes and my own favourite, a rich Prawn Bisque.
While my partner’s workmates winced a little at the overly fishy smell of the Mediterranean Seafood Hotpot, my own colleagues were green with envy as I walked past with a Seafood Laksa, without having to leaving the office. While we took to the range as a means of getting premium quality seafood for reasonably priced, convenient work lunches, you could also use them to shine as a home cook. Sydney Fish Markets have worked with leading food consultant and cookbook author, Brigid Treloar to develop some excellent ways to compliment the products, and printed these recipes on the packs. Brigid suggests freshening up the Seafood Laksa with snow peas, mushrooms, fresh chilli and coriander. Of course if you’re already an accomplished cook, you might just be interested in the slowly simmered Queensland Banana Prawn and School Whiting, country vegetables, white wine, herbs and spices which make up the Market Pride Prawn Stock. All these products are available at a variety of retailers at the Sydney Fish Market.
Since summer makes me want to lap up the sunshine myself, I’ll sign off with another meal cheat. Paradise Beach Purveyors make great dips, and their new summer 2008 range has some that stand up to more than just a smear on a Pita Bit. I like their Caramelised Onion Hommus dropped onto barbequed lamb cutlets; their Smoked Salmon and Dill makes an awesome addition to a cucumber sandwich (with the crusts cut off of course); and the Red Pepper, Pomegranate and Walnut works as a pesto in a chickpea salad ‘ throw in some olives for a bit of zing. All this adds up to less time in the kitchen and more eating great Aussie products (and icons) in Sydney’s summer air.
