The Day Skippy Became the Main Course

Aboriginals adapting to  modern day society: Aboriginals performing in Sydney Harbor. 

In this blog-post I am moving away from early American literature and the culinary experiences of South –East Asia to exploring ‘the land down under’ (Australia) and cuisine inspired by their Aboriginal ancestors. During my online research I came across a website (www.nativefoodandwine.com) that not only provides a good selection of traditional Australian recipes featuring their “native” ingredients but it also gives an historical account of how the Australian food culture has been shaped. In fact, one of the website’s historical extracts ended up being my source of inspiration for this blog-post:

 “Each of the first explorers, colonists and convicts who arrived in Australia remarked on how everything seemed ineffably peculiar. One of the earliest arrivals (1688), Dutchman Dirk Hartog, wrote in his journal that:” The land is cursed, the animals hop not run, birds run no fly and the swans are black not white.” (www.nativefoodandwine.com).

The notion of this ‘cursed’ land seems to be what separates Australian cuisine from, for example the European culinary experiences. Although the Australian land is vast, their country is significantly secluded and their dry and bare landscape forces them to think alternatively. One of their alternative meat sources for instance, is kangaroo meat. Considering how kangaroo\man ratio is close to 2:1, the Australians seem to be getting rid of a pest problem alongside devising their very own culinary specialty deriving from their aboriginal ancestors. Native Australian history reveals however, that until recently so-called ‘native food’ was distrusted. Perhaps even more so, as a tourist, the notion of distrust was certainly something I touched on when offered kangaroo meat in Australia. Surprisingly the same kind of distrust is still found among Australia’s native inhabitants. Perhaps this is due to the fact that kangaroo meat was considered a legalized meat product nationwide as recent as 1993.

Kangaroo spotted during a barbeque gathering at surf camp. 

The barbeque spot.

A potential alternative food source?

Arguably, Australian cookbooks inspired by Aboriginal cooking culture could be seen as one of the major influences that have contributed to the acceptance of alternative food resources like kangaroo meat. In the ‘rare cookbooks’ sub-section of www.booktryst.com I encountered an Aboriginal inspired cookbook by Wilhelmina Frances Rawson titled Queensland Cookery and Poultry Book (1878) which focuses on utilizing the scarce resources the Australian landscape has to offer. In a statement from Rawson herself she seems to convey how she discards any apprehensiveness towards alternative cooking and writes a matter-a-fact cookbook: “When I tell my friends that we often eat Bandicoots, Kangaroo, Rats, Wallaby and Paddymelon, they look astonished, and yet there is no reason they should not be good for human food”.

http://www.booktryst.com/2011/03/whats-cooking-down-under-rare-cookbooks.html

Similar to the astonished look of Rawson’s friends, my first visit to Australia did not tempt me to consume any of Rawson’s alternative delicacies. Still, my stay in Australia made me realize how much of an impact the Aboriginal heritage has on the Australian culinary culture. In some respect, my many barbeque gatherings at surf camp along the Gold Coast  seemed to present a modern version of the Aboriginal lifestyle.  However, as I encountered my first wild kangaroo during one of these barbeque gatherings it was established that my childhood obsession with the Australian TV show ‘Skippy’ prevented me from having the ‘land down-under’s’ somewhat primal culinary experience. Yet, three years have passed since I saw that wild kangaroo, and I do think that if someone brought me a kangaroo burger in at a restaurant or at barbeque gathering I presently would feel inclined to try it. In fact, should you feel inspired by the Australian cuisine and the their culinary history then try this RooBurger recipe at home:

Patties

500g kangaroo mince

1 teaspoon native spice mix or BBQ spice mix

1\2 red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves, chopped

1tsp lemon zest

1 egg, lightly whisked

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil spray

Wild tomato chutney to serve

Apple & fennel slaw

1\4 white cabbage, shredded

1 small fennel bulb, finely sliced

4 red apples coarsely

1\2 red onion, peeled and finely sliced

1\4 cup whole egg mayonnaise

1tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve:

8 x small bread rolls

2\3 cup wild tomato chutney

Place the mince, spice mix, onion, garlic thyme, parsley, zest, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until required, ideally at least 2 hours, to allow flavours to meld.

For the slaw, add all the ingredients together in a medium bowl, mixing until well combined. Cover and set aside until required.

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Heat a char-grill pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile shape the kangaroo mixture into eight equal sized patties, spray both sides with olive oil and cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side. Place patties on prepared on prepared baking tray and cook in preheated over for a further 10 minutes.

To serve, halve brad rolls, then layer with wild tomato chutney, kangaroo pattie and tip with apple and fennel slaw.

Get the recipe from its original website: 

http://www.macromeats.com.au/Recipes/Kangaroo_burgers_with_apple___cabbage_slaw.aspx#.UwETM-Az0pg