Meat Pies

In my opinion, the British influence on Australian cuisine is perhaps most evident in their mutual love of meat pies. The recipe I found online makes either one large pie or four smaller ones, so I opted for the hand-held versions. We're heading out for our road trip tomorrow, and I bet the leftovers will be amazing served cold.

As tonight's dinner, they were fantastic! Puff pastry is just so decadent, and the filling is luscious. They're somewhat heartier than American "pot pies," since they don't include vegetables. If you want, you could easily add some chopped veggies into the meat mixture. I love the herbs and spices this recipe uses, especially that dash of nutmeg. I used extra-lean (93%) ground beef to lighten it up a little, as well as unsalted beef broth to control the sodium.

Here's how I made them:

1¼ lb extra-lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

¾ cup low-sodium beef broth

¼ cup ketchup

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

¼ cup water

3 Tbsp flour

2 sheets (1 pkg) puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 450°. 

In a large skillet, so there's room for any liquid to evaporate, brown the meat and onion. Then, add the broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Mix the flour and water till smooth and add it to the meat mixture. Let cool.

Meanwhile, grease your pie pan(s) and line the bottoms with pastry, letting it overhang the edges a little (you may need to roll out the dough to make it fit your pan(s)). Add the cooled filling, brush the pastry edges with milk or a beaten egg, and top with the remaining pastry. Crimp the edges and brush the tops with more milk/egg.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375° and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or till the crust is deep golden brown.

Pavlova and Anzac Biscuits

I was in the mood to bake, so I've thrown in a couple signature Australian desserts to this week's meals.

I briefly mentioned the pavlova in Sunday's post, and I've been informed by my Aussie mate, Kristi, that "even more controversial than the republican debate is whether we came up with the pavlova or the Kiwis." And, it appears, both countries have valid arguments. According to Wikipedia, the earliest known recipe was reportedly created by a hotel chef in Wellington, New Zealand, for her visit there in 1926. Adding to the confusion, however, an Australian woman named Emily Futter included a pavlova recipe in her cookbook "Home Cookery for New Zealand" that also was published in 1926.

I'm certainly not about to get in the middle of a long-standing, contentious debate between two countries I adore so, in deference to both, I've included my Mum's pavlova in my Australian blog entry (New Zealand might never be picked by my SpinGlobe app, after all) and decorated it with whipped cream and kiwi fruit -- I'd hoped to find a passion fruit to adorn it with too, but there weren't any in our local grocery stores.

My Cate-Mate in Canberra -- Australia's capital city --  also made mini pavlovas, which she decorated with cream and blueberries. She sent me the attached picture of one, and it looks phenomenal!

At the suggestion of Cate-Mate's son, Conor, I also made a batch of Anzac biscuits. These cookies were created to send to World War I soldiers in battle, because they're inexpensive and non-perishable (they contain no milk or eggs). Originally called Soldiers Cookies, they were later renamed to commemorate the landing by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) in Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. They're super tasty -- not too sweet and packed with flavor. Plus, Cate swears they're great for munching during road trips and advised I should pack some for the car ride.

Here's how I made them both:

PAVLOVA:
4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 275°. Whip the egg whites till foamy and add a pinch of salt. Continue whipping them till soft peaks form (they fold over). Very slowly add the sugar and continue whipping till hard peaks form (they stand up). Reduce the speed and add the vanilla, vinegar and cornstarch, blending till incorporated. Turn out the egg mixture onto a well-greased cookie sheet (if you can line it with parchment or wax paper, even better) and spread it out till it's a few inches thick. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250° and bake for another hour till the meringue is light brown. Turn off the oven and let it cool completely inside. Decorate it with whipped cream and fruit or other toppings of your choosing. Makes one 12" meringue.

BISCUITS:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup brown sugar, very loosely packed
1 stick (4 oz) butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp very hot/boiling water
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 375°. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and mix in the honey. Then, stir together the hot water and baking soda and add that mixture to the butter. Once everything is well blended, pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. If the batter is too dry, slowly add additional water till you get the right consistency. Spoon the batter onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes till golden brown. Let them cool slightly before transferring them to racks to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen.

Barramundi Fish & Chips with Tarragon Dijon Sauce

I'm a huge fan of fish and seafood and try to include it in my diet as much as possible. So, if you're going to make an Australian fish dish, then you've got to consider barramundi. Native to northern Australian and  southern Asian waters, it's a firm, white fish packed with nutrients including omega-3s. I found some in the frozen fish section of our local Price Chopper. Each package contains two whole filets, about 6 oz each.

Eating this fish fry, I was transported back to my favorite little beachside cookery in Fremantle, Western Australia, that laid out your options on colorful chalkboard menus... You can see in the photo that it cost AU $3.50 for an order of barramundi fish & chips back then - what a deal. I could almost smell the sea breezes and feel the sand between my toes. Unfortunately, Cate-Mate wasn't able to cook barramundi with me, due to a last-minute conflict that kept her out of the kitchen. But, no worries - she'll definitely return later in the week.

Full disclosure: I was going to make this recipe for barramundi but decided to indulge a "takeaway" meal craving at the last minute. Still, that sauce sounded incredible and I'd bought the herbs, so I made it to accompany my fish fry! It's a cook's privilege, right? And, it was a change from tartar or tommy sauce (we "Yankees" call that ketchup). The freshness of the herbs and tang from the Dijon and sherry paired well with the hint of citrus in the batter and definitely helped cut through the fried taste. For the chips, of course, we opted for malt vinegar - for essentially the same reason.

All in all, a tasty indulgence! Here's how I made this meal:

FISH:
1¾ cup rice flour, divided
¾ cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup orange-flavored seltzer
1-2 cups of ice (optional)
1 barramundi filet, cut into 3 portions

In a bowl, combine ¾ cup of rice flour, all the regular flour and the salt and pepper. Combine the juices and seltzer in a measuring cup (so you can track how much you needed for the next time). Add the liquids to the flour mixture gradually, removing any lumps. If you're not ready to cook right away, add some ice cubes to the batter and chill it in the fridge till you need it.

Pat the fish pieces dry with a paper towel, then dredge them in the remaining rice flour, so the batter will stick. Dip each piece in the batter and fry them in 375° pre-heated oil. It should take about 3-4 minutes for the fish to cook and the batter to turn deep golden brown.

Drain the excess oil from the fish by putting it on a plate covered with several paper towels. Move them gently; the tempura-style batter is delicate.

SAUCE:
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup sherry
1 tsp cornstarch
½ cup fat-free half-and-half

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the herbs, lemon juice, mustard, sherry and cornstarch. Simmer for a couple minutes, then slowly stir in the cream. Gently reheat the sauce just till it begins to thicken and simmer, and it's ready to enjoy!

Roast Lamb (x2)

My version, with a minted crust.

Since it was Easter just over a week ago, lamb roasts were plentiful - and nicely priced - in the grocery stores. We got a 3.3-pound Australian bone-in shank roast for $20, a decent price. And, the way my house smells right now, that alone makes it worth every penny! Luckily, it's also supremely delicious.

Me Mum, Wendy, is an English ex-pat who grew up in Fiji and New Zealand, before meeting my father and moving to America to settle here with him, and she's made many many succulent lamb roasts over the years, which were always served with her mint sauce. A sinfully sweet, tangy concoction made with fresh mint, vinegar and sugar, I always piled it on the meat - often in place of gravy, which was left for the roasted potatoes. I knew I had to use this recipe, once I saw that it was crusted with minty goodness.

Cate's version, with garlic and rosemary.

I skipped the potatoes this time around, and opted instead for a couple vegetables. But, no worries, Cate-Mate had potatoes with her lamb. That's right, all this week, my dear Aussie friend and housemate during my semester abroad in 1992, will be preparing her versions of my chosen meals! In her Canberra kitchen on the other side of the world, she too made a roast lamb. For her version, she cuts slits in the roast and inserted garlic cloves and sprigs of fresh rosemary. Doesn't it look delicious?!

Make sure you check back tomorrow for our next collaboration. Meantime, here's how I made my roast:

3 lb. Australian lamb roast
3 Tbsp breadcrumbs (I used a mix of regular and panko)
3 Tbsp Wendy's mint sauce*
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl. In a preheated 350° oven, cook your roast (uncovered) for about 60-90 minutes, depending upon your "doneness" preferences. Then, using a spatula, cover the roast with the mint mixture, pressing it firmly onto the top of the meat. Baste it with the pan juices. Return the roast to the oven and cook for another 20 minutes till the crust is golden brown. Be sure to let the meat rest for about 15 minutes before carving, so the juices have time to settle and don't run out.

* To make the mint sauce, finely mince about a cup of fresh mint leaves. In a small saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp vinegar (I used cider vinegar) and 2 Tbsp sugar till the sugar dissolves completely. Allow to cool before adding it slowly to the mint leaves in a small bowl. Add the vinegar syrup slowly so that the sauce doesn't become too loose. You want the mint to absorb the liquid without being runny. For me, these measurements worked perfectly and I didn't have any leftover syrup. If you want to make a larger batch so you have extra, the sauce will keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator in a screw top or mason jar.

We Went Walkabout

Surf Drive Beach, Falmouth, MA

Sorry, folks! Decided to take a spur-of-the-moment road trip to the Cape with the Missus for some beach time, since the weather was so glorious, so my first dinner will be tomorrow. Actually, I think I'll have to do all my cooking over the next three nights, since we start our Midwest road trip on Friday!

Definitely check back, because we've got something very special planned for this week that you won't want to miss. Cheers!

Week #13: Australia

Photo: kids.britannica.com

I'm completely stoked about this week's destination! I've traveled to Oz twice, and I'm horrified to realize my last trip there was back in 1999! It's taking me far too long to get back...
If you're considering a trip down under, don't hesitate, just go -- it is SO worth the effort to get there. It's a spectacular country full of fascinating wildlife, dazzling landscapes and phenomenal people.

But, you're probably thinking: What about the food? Right?! Well, I'm not sure how much "bush tucker" I'll be able to find in the greater Capital region. That's the colloquial term for the diet of  local flora/fauna developed by the Australian Aborigines, the country's indigenous people who have lived there for as long as 60,000 years. I might be able to track down some kangaroo meat from the vendor who supplied me with alligator, but I'm not sure I could bring myself to eat that. I've petted and fed kangaroos -- I love them! Same with emus; one of my favorite memories from my second trip involves a very curious emu that surprised my friend. Really don't think I could consume one. Maybe as a sausage on the grill or something, but I'll have to think more about that...

Other Australian cuisine is heavily influenced by the British and Irish, due to it's hotly debated status as a member of the Commonwealth.  Some of my favorite "takeaway" food was sausage rolls, meat pies and fish and chips. I think I'm definitely going to tackle one of those... Of course, there's lamb, my favorite roast -- and I think we have one in the freezer. Oh, and my Mom has perfected a famous dessert called a pavlova, a meringue named after Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina who danced there and inspired its creation because she seemed as light as air. Maybe I'll share that recipe with you, too.

Anyhoo, lots to consider! So, definitely check back frequently this week. It's bound to be delicious!

Ta! (Thanks!)