Category Archives for "Recipes"

Boomerang trifle with lemon ironwood syrup, wild fruit jelly and Fruit Spice

Boomerang trifle with lemon ironwood syrup, wild fruit jelly and Fruit Spice


Serves: 4

Difficulty:1hat

Ingredients

Madeira or butter cake
100ml lemon ironwood syrup or use maple syrup and Lemon Myrtle
red wine jelly crystals
a selection of red wild fruits eg Riberry Confit or Wild Rosella
sugar as required
fresh blueberries, raspberries or whatever you can find easily
100ml thickened cream, whipped to firm peaks
¼ teaspoon Fruit Spice
lemon verbena leaves or mint for garnish

Method

1. Cut the boomerang shape from an appropriately sized piece of the cake you are using. Soak it in the syrup.
2. If you can’t find lemon ironwood syrup, make this substitute: Warm 100ml of maple syrup to around 44°C (that’s about as hot as you can stand if you dip your finger in but be careful not
to cook it – your finger that is). Add ¼ teaspoon of Lemon Myrtle and leave to cool before soaking the cake.
3. Prepare the jelly according to the instructions on the pack, pour into an ice cube tray and leave to set;
4. Once ready to use, carefully remove the jelly from the tray by running a knife around the edges and cut the cubes into 4 smaller cubes.
5. In a small saucepan, add the fruits and just cover with water. Add about the same amount of sugar as for the weight of fruits and heat to dissolve the sugar and cook the fruits which
should stay quite firm because of the sugar.

Styling

Place the syrup soaked boomerang on a plate. Pile on the jelly cubes and spoon on the fruit compote and the fresh berries. Drizzle the cake with any left-over lemon ironwood syrup and
place your dollop of Fruit Spice cream. Finally garnish with the leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

This takes some forward planning with the jelly and fruit compote having to be made the day before. In fact, the cake is better if it’s not just baked but a few days old and the cream will get
stronger in taste overnight in the frig as well.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook

This Australian recipe of Boomerang trifle with lemon ironwood syrup, wild fruit jelly and Fruit Spice are included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseedand paperbark rolls.

Episode: Banjo Patterson’s Restaurant on the Parramatta River

Recipe By: Vic Cherikoff

Vic CherikoffThis dessert takes some forward planning with the jelly and fruit compote having to be made the day before. In fact, the cake is better if it’s not just baked but a few days old and the cream will get stronger in taste overnight in the fridge as well. This dish also lends itself to a whole lot of improvisation; from sherry, brandy or ice wine for soaking the cake to wattleseed cream, gumleaf custard or Lemon Myrtle ice cream.

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Baked Illawarra plum cheesecake

Baked Illawarra plum cheesecake

Serves: 6

Difficulty:1hat

185g sweet biscuits
100g butter
100g Illawarra Plums Sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
500g cream cheese
125g castor sugar
3 eggs
100g flour
125ml low fat cream

Method

1. In a food processor pulse the sweet biscuits to crumbs; add melted butter to form the crumb crust
2. in individual ceramic dishes, form the base and edges and set in the fridge for an hour
3. Combine Illawarra plums and lemon juice; and set aside
4. combine the cream cheese and sugar together in the blender, until light and fluffy
5. add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time then add in the flour and cream
6. spoon in Illawarra plum sauce and transfer to the prepared crumb cases
7. bake in at 160°C for 60-70 minutes
8. remove and allow to cool; refrigerate when cool

Styling

Serve with rich double cream and fresh fruit garnish (for visuals more than taste).

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Dining Downunder Cookbook

This Australian recipe of Baked Illawarra plum cheesecake is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Alpine peppered pineapple with wild fruit yoghurt

Alpine peppered pineapple with wild fruit yoghurt

Serves: 4

Difficulty:1hat

Ingredients

8 pineapple slices
butter for frying
1 teaspoon Alpine Pepper
¼ jar Buderim ginger, lemon and lime marmalade
2 cups Greek style yoghurt
3 teaspoons Wild Rosella Confit
¼ teaspoon Fruit Spice
tuile, ginger snap, crostolli or other biscuit or wafer for a crispy garnish
sprig of mint, native or otherwise

Method

In a pan, melt the butter and begin to sauté the pineapple slices
season generously with Alpine pepper melt in the marmalade to finish meanwhile; mix the rosella extract and Fruit spice into the yoghurt; sweeten it if you wish with some honey or maple syrup

Styling

Use the picture as a guide or exercise your own creativity giving the dish some height and focus. You could also add toasted nuts or some of Dick Smith Foods’ Bushfood breakfast – just for that all important textural crunch.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook

This Australian recipe of Alpine peppered pineapple with wild fruit yoghurt is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Wine drenched lamb with Alpine Pepper mash

Wine drenched lamb with Alpine Pepper mash

Serves: 4

Difficulty:1hat

Ingredients

180g lamb loin
1 cup red wine
80g potatoes
80ml lamb stock
50g green beans
50g asparagus
10g Rainforest Rub
2g Outback Salt
5g Alpine Pepper
20g butter
50ml cream
5ml vegetable oil

Method

1. Marinate the lamb in a small bowl with the wine for about 5-6 hours or overnight in the fridge
2. peel and roughly chop the potatoes and place in a pot; cover generously with cold water and bring to the boil; simmer for 35 minutes or until soft
3. remove the lamb from the red wine and on a hot BBQ or grill, seal and brown the meat allover; finish in the oven at 180°C for 12 minutes; rest the meat for 10 minutes
4. combine the remaining red wine marinade with the lamb jus and reduce to a thick sauce; be sure to strain the jus before serving
5. strain the potatoes and mash together with butter and cream, season with salt and Alpine Pepper
6. slice the asparagus and green beans
7. heat a large frying pan or wok with a little vegetable oil, sauté the green beans and asparagus and finish with Rainforest Rub

Styling

Slice the lamb and serve on the potato mash with the greens to the side and the plate drizzled with the lamb jus.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook
This Australian recipe of Ricotta figs and macadamia nuts is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Episode: Feast Restaurant on Avoca Beach

Recipe By: Benjamin Christie

Benjamin ChristieI love tender lamb with a good drop of red, so here I would recommend using a light red wine, as marinating it in a strong full bodied merlot or cabernet sauvignon will make it difficult to pair with a table wine to go with the meal. The strong peppery notes of the Alpine Pepper creates a unique flavour with plenty of punch

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Tasmanian salmon with soy Alpine Pepper dressing

Tasmanian salmon with soy Alpine Pepper dressing

Serves: 4

Difficulty:Tasmanian salmon with soy Alpine Pepper dressing title=

Ingredients

For the Tasmanian Salmon

4 whole baby Tasmanian salmon, cleaned
1 tablespoon Buderim minced ginger
1 bunch of shallots
4 serves (1 punnet) shiitake mushrooms
4 serves snow peas
2 cups bean sprouts
1 teaspoon rainforest rub
4 tablespoons Buderim pickled ginger
lemon myrtle oil

Soy pepper dressing

100ml low salt soy sauce
80ml mirin
5ml fish sauce
1 tablespoon Buderim minced ginger
2 teaspoons Alpine Pepper
pinch Fruit Spice

Method

For the Tasmanian Salmon

1. stuff each salmon with the shallots and ginger, preheat oven to 160°C
2. warm a fish pan and rub the salmon with a little oil
3. when the pan is hot seal the salmon on both sides
4. place in the oven for eight minutes
5. remove the fish; test for doneness and brush the top with lemon myrtle oil
6. slice the shiitake mushrooms and de-string the snow peas
7. warm a wok or large pan and stir-fry the three vegetables
8. season with the rainforest rub

For the Soy Alpine Pepper dressing

Warm the mirin in a small saucepan and squeeze in the juice from the ginger. You need about 5ml of juice all up for flavour. Add the Alpine pepper and Fruit spice and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat; add fish sauce and soy and it’s done.

Styling

Place the vegetables in the centre of a large plate and lay the Tasmanian Salmon on top. Drizzle plenty of dressing around the plate and serve extra in side dishes.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook
This Australian recipe of Tasmanian salmon with soy Alpine Pepper dressing is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Episode: Buderim Ginger and Bistro C in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast

Recipe By: Mark McCluskey

Mark McCluskeyYou can use fillets with the skin on for this if you don’t like staring your meal in the eye. You could experiment with the dressing, as there are plenty of possibilities using Australian herbs or seasonings e.g. Oz Lemon, which will add citrus notes to go with the ginger.

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Soused sea perch fillets

Soused sea perch fillets

Serves: 4

Difficulty: 1hat

Ingredients

4×200-250g sea perch fillets (or other white fleshed fish)
300ml water
300mls white wine vinegar
300ml white wine
¼ teaspoon Australian groundwater salt
3-4 Wild Lime Confit
½ teaspoon Lemon Myrtle

Method

1. In a shallow, poaching pan combine water, wine and vinegar and bring to a boil
2. add the fish to the boiling stock; it will take about 6-7 minutes to cook so after 2 minutes from adding the fish, turn down the heat to a gentle boil
3. remove the fish and place on paper toweling to absorb the excess moisture
4. dust with the Lemon Myrtle

Styling

1. Simply serve the finished fish as is with the small limes scattered over it or alternatively, use the Oz Lemon to flavour a mayonnaise or some reduced white balsamic vinegar
2. serve with rice and /or wild rice, couscous, bulgar, barley or other grains (Vic tells me he adds some hijiki seaweed and chicken stock to raw rice, cooks it with the absorption method
and then forks through some rice wine vinegar or mirin and palm sugar once it’s done – you could even make sushi with this, adding a piece of the fish to the formed rice and cutting
each lime into a fan for on top)

Notes

Cooking this way can be made even easier for big batches of fish (or scallops, prawns, yabbies etc) if you have a strainer or tray with drainer holes in the bottom to fit into the
poaching pan. The idea is to keep the poaching liquid hot and not to cool it off too much each time the cold seafood goes in. Cook one batch, drain and spice it up and then add the next batch to the constantly simmering liquid.
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Dining Downunder Cookbook

This Australian recipe of Soused sea perch fillets is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Episode: Australia Day on Sydney Harbour

Recipe By: Benjamin Christie

Benjamin ChristieCooking this way can be made even easier for big batches of fish (or scallops, prawns, yabbies etc) if you have a strainer or tray with drainer holes in the bottom to fit into the poaching pan. The idea is to keep the poaching liquid hot and not to cool it off too much each time the cold seafood goes in. Cook one batch, drain and spice it up and then add the next batch to the constantly simmering liquid.

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Seafood laksa with wild limes and lemon myrtle linguini

Seafood laksa with wild limes and lemon myrtle linguini


Serves: 4

Difficulty: 1hat
Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, peeled
50g minced ginger
4 shallots
4 small red chillies (or as hot as you choose)
1 teaspoon peanut oil for frying
1 teaspoon of shrimp paste
500ml coconut milk or 300ml coconut cream
300ml chicken stock
400g snapper fillets cut into 8 pieces
8 – 12 scallops in the half shell
8 king prawns
2 squid tubes
½ teaspoon Lemon Myrtle
10g Wild Lime Confit
60ml Lemon Aspen Syrup
300g lemon myrtle linguini
a generous tablespoon of salt
a dash of sesame seed oil

Method

1. Mince the garlic, ginger, shallots and chilli together using a sharp knife and a levered chopping action; then, in a hot pot with a little oil, quickly fry the minced ingredients allowing the aromatics to be released; add in the shrimp paste and continue frying for half a minute longer
2. add the chicken stock, boil and begin reducing, after a few minutes add the coconut milk, lower the heat a little (keeping at a simmer) and continue reducing, the aim is to reduce the volume to a thick soupy consistency – if you are in a hurry, use coconut cream and you won’t have to reduce it so much
3. in another pot, boil some salted water for the lemon myrtle linguini, put in the pasta and make sure it doesn’t stick together by gently stirring once the pasta has softened (about 2 minutes) – stirring before this time tends to break the pasta up as it can still be hard and brittle on the inside
4. while the flavour base in the pot is reducing down to around ¼ of its original volume, begin to prepare the seafood; peel and de-vein the de-headed prawns (I keep prawn heads and freeze them until I have the time to roast them and then cook them down in seasoned water to make a rich shell-fish stock which I also freeze in ice cube trays for later use), cut the squid tubes into bite sized pieces and score these with diagonal, parallel cross cuts; finally, remove any bones from the snapper fillets.
5. when the lemon myrtle linguini is cooked, drain it, add a dash of sesame seed oil to stop it sticking (and for flavour, of course) and set aside
6. add the squid, snapper, prawns and finally the scallops, wild limes and lemon aspen syrup to the coconut stock reduction and keep the laksa at a gentle boil until the seafood is cooked

Styling

Place a little lemon myrtle linguini into either a bowl, then spoon out the seafood, fishing for 2 pieces of the seafood and two wild limes per serve. Ladle in the laksa sauce, sprinkle on the extra flavour with a little lemon myrtle and top the lot with a sprig of coriander and chervil.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook
This Australian recipe of Seafood laksa with wild limes and lemon myrtle linguini are included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Episode: Crowne Plaza Newcastle

Recipe By: Benjamin Christie

Benjamin ChristieIn my early days as a chef, I spent some time in South East Asia exploring the different tastes and cuisines of the region. One region which I particularly enjoyed was Georgetown, Penang, the home of the world famous laksa. I learnt their standard recipe from a well known, local chef, who, let me tell you, loves his Laksa super-spicy. I have adapted his recipe here and added in a native twist to have the taste buds going wild. From time to time, I also add straw mushrooms, English spinach or baby beetroot leaves, snow peas, asparagus or even zucchini. It’s also great with chicken breast strips or deep-fried tofu instead of the seafood.

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Saltbush Lamb with kumara smash

Saltbush Lamb with kumara smash

Serves: 4

Difficulty:1hat

Ingredients

4 saltbush lamb backstraps on the bone
2 large kumara
oil for frying
a pinch of Fruit Spice
several generous pinches Wild thyme mix
a couple of pinches of Alpine Pepper
2 bunches broccolini
200ml lamb jus
4 figs
beetroot jam

Method

1. Remove the meat from the bone with a sharp, boning knife
2. season the lamb with wild thyme and tie it in place, back on the bone
3. pan sear the lamb to brown and cook it in a preheated oven for 8 minutes at 250°C
4. remove the meat from the oven and rest for 8 minutes
5. peel the sweet potatoes and dice, steam in the microwave for about 10 minutes or until soft
6. using the same pan in which the lamb was cooked, add the sweet potato and a drizzle of olive oil and fry until the potato becomes crispy; add Fruit Spice and Alpine Pepper to taste
7. steam the broccolini and grill the figs
8. heat the jus and add a couple of pinches of Alpine Pepper

Styling

To serve, remove the lamb from the bone and slice the backstrap. Use a mould to shape the sweet potato, place the broccolini on top and arrange the lamb on top or next to the broccolini and figs. Finish the dish with a little jus and beetroot jam; you won’t need much as the lamb is nice and juicy.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook
This Australian recipe of Saltbush Lamb with kumara smash is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Ribeye steak with broccolini, shitake mushrooms and wattleseed jus

Ribeye steak with broccolini, shitake mushrooms and wattleseed jus

Serves: 4

Difficulty:Ribeye steak with broccolini, shitake mushrooms and wattleseed jus title=

Ingredients

4 X 220g ribeye steak / scotch fillet
20g akudjura (dried bush tomato)
1 bunch broccolini (or conventional broccoli)
100g shitake mushrooms
100ml beef jus / sauce
6g ground wattleseed
4 sprigs watercress

Method

1. Heat a medium sized pan or flat BBQ plate to medium hot (not super-heated and smoking).
2. In a saucepan, add the pre-made jus or start with a good quality stock and reduce it down by boiling it until thick; add the wattleseed at any time and let it boil.
3. On a plate or tray, spread the akudjura with a little rock salt and ground pepper. Then place each steak into the mix, crusting evenly on each side of the steak.
4. Once the pan or plate is at medium heat, add a little oil then place each steak into the pan. Allow the akudjura to caramelise and blacken (it will do this from the sugars naturally in the bush tomatoes. Only turn the steak once to cook the other side as this will seal in the juice more.
5. Once cooked to the desired doneness, remove and allow to rest in a warm place for about 5 minutes. While the meat is resting, quickly prepare the broccolini and shitake mushrooms.
6. Using the same pan or flat BBQ, add a little oil and the shitake mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Remove when golden.
7. In a hot wok, place a little oil and quickly wok toss the broccolini until cooked.

Styling

1. Use a medium sized main course plate.
2. Place the wok tossed brocollini in the centre of the plate. Upon this place the steak, then the shitake mushrooms.
3. Around the base of the plate pour the sauce around the base of the brocollini.
4. Serve with a sprig of watercress.

Notes

Broccollini is an Australian horticultural development of a cross between broccoli and Japanese kale and is becoming an important export product for Australia.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook
This Australian recipe of Ribeye steak with broccolini, shitake mushrooms and wattleseed jus is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Pork braise with bunya nut and Australian rice grass

Pork braise with bunya nut and Australian rice grass

Serves: 4

Difficulty: 1hat

Ingredients

4 pork hocks
3 litres chicken stock
1 onion diced
1 chopped chilli
½ teaspoon Wildfire Spice
½ teaspoon Lemon Myrtle
1½ teaspoons Alpine Pepper
200g brown rice
50g Australian rice grass
50g Inuit wild rice
12 bunya nuts (24 halves)
160g snowpeas

Method

1. Preheat your oven or BBQ to about 180°C
2. stab the meat of the hocks with a narrow blade knife making an incision which fits your finger; sprinkle Alpine Pepper into the cuts so that the flavours can penetrate all the way through the meat as it cooks
3. in a hot, oiled, deep roasting pan, brown the hocks on all surfaces to flavour the outside; once half done, add the onion to brown it as well
4. once browned, remove from the heat and pour in the stock and add the chilli
5. cover the meat with aluminium foil ensuring that the plasticized metal sheet does not touch the meat but sits proud; if this is not possible, cover the meat with a piece of baking paper or paperbark and then cover with the foil; (the main thing is to never let anything you will actually eat, be cooked in contact with foil, see page 134)
6. place in the oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat easily pulls away from the bone; the pan can be uncovered for the last 30 minutes of this time (when you can also start to cook the rice as below)
7. once the hocks are cooked, remove them from the liquid and set aside in a warm place
8. pull all of the meat away from the bones
9. reduce the liquid in the pan to ¼ the original volume; strain off and season this sauce with Wildfire Spice to taste
10. boil the bunya nut halves in a minimum of water and then allow them to cool in this water, this will make it easy to get them out of the shells; use almonds if bunya nuts are hard to get and you can boil them or dry roast them as is your preference, either way, chop the nuts coarsely
11. start to cook the rices:
12. add the brown rice and the rice grass to a saucepan which can be fitted with a lid; cover the rice with water so that the water covers the rice by 1½ times as much again as the depth of rice; said in another way; you can measure the 200g of rice and add 300ml of water; note that if you were cooking white rice using this absorption method only 200ml of water would be needed
13. for the rice grass (or Inuit wild rice), follow the above directions as for white rice and use a small saucepan
14. to cook the rices, bring the water to the boil and continue boiling until the water boils down to within the surface of the rice; turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and fit the lid to the saucepan; continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked as indicated by ‘blow hole’ in the surface of the swollen rice; remove from heat once done; place the snow peas ontop of the rice and cover till required to serve.

Styling

Serve the rices in a deep or flat bowl, topped with the braised pork, bunya and snow peas. Dust with Lemon Myrtle.

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Dining Downunder Cookbook
This Australian recipe of Pork braise with bunya nut and Australian rice grass is included in the Dining Downunder Cookbook which can be purchased online at the Dining Downunder Online Shop. Also available online is a wide range of native Australian herbs and spices, sauces, syrups, infused oils and bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed and paperbark rolls.

Episode: Lillipilli in the Rocks

Recipe By: Mark McCluskey

Mark McCluskeyThis recipe is a little ahead of its time in that it has an ingredient, Australian rice grass, which is only just entering commercialization stages. It may be a few more years before it is widely available but small amounts are beginning to enter selected gourmet stores. A substitute is the Canadian wild rice harvested and widely marketed as Inuit rice but it is really closer to the nutty dryland rice grasses of Arizona in the USA.

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