More Tastes of Asia

The impact of Asian cultures on Australian cuisine is undeniable and it is a food trend that will no doubt continue in Queensland given our close proximity to Asia, our climate and the fact that so much of the produce used in Asian dishes is grown here - think tropical and exotic fruit like mangoes and lychees.

Pork of course is a staple in Asian cooking and increasingly we're seeing pork belly as a cut used on the menu in restaurants. Gooralie Free-range pork is the first pork farm in Queensland to be accredited by the RSPCA. The pigs wander happily around Mark and Charisse Ladners 160 hectare (400 acre) property near Goodiwindi in the south west of the state. They are fed a natural, nutritiously blended diet free of chemical residue, antibiotics and hormone growth promotants.

Buy Gooralie pork at:
Stuartholme Quality Meats - Bardon
The Meat-ting Place - Paddington & McDowall
Maleny Butchery - Maleny

Visit http://www.gooraliefreerangepork.com.au/ for a full list of outlets in Queensland.

Visit http://www.pork.com.au/ for more information about Australian Pork.

Crispy pork belly, asian salad with coconut dressing
Serves 6

Ingredients
100g soba noodles, cooked
1/4 medium daikon, peeled and julienned
1/2 continental cucumber, peeled and julienned
50g snow pea sprouts
50g bean sprouts
1/3 cup picked coriander
1/3 cup picked mint
1/3 cup picked Vietnamese mint
50g pickled ginger
1/2 medium salad onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green pawpaw, peeled and julienned

Coconut Dressing
1 tbs palm sugar
250ml coconut cream
3 limes, juiced
1 tbs fish sauce
2 red chillis, deseeded and finely chopped

Pork
1500g pork belly, skin on
1 dessertspoon 5 spice powder
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs pink salt flakes
1 dessertspoon castor sugar
6 lime cheeks

Method
Spike the skin on the pork belly with a wooden skewer at 1cm intervals.
Place the pork belly on a cake rack and pour boiling water over the skin, pat dry.
Mix 5 spice, black pepper, salt and sugar and rub into the pork flesh.
Place in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place the pork, skin side up on a cake rack over a roasting tray of water.
Roast the pork for 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 160 degrees and cook for a further 2 hours, topping up the water when necessary.
Increase the temperature to 230 degrees and continue to roast for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and keep warm.
Mix coconut dressing ingredients and, in a large bowl, combine salad ingredients with coconut dressing.
Toss gently and divide evenly between 6 plates.
Cut pork belly into 12 pieces, place on plates and finish with lime cheeks.

Shanghai Expo 2010

I have recently returned from Shanghai where Queensland (as a platinum sponsor), showcased its world-class seafood, beef and horticulture to the discerning Chinese population during Queensland week.

The Australian Pavilion had 40,000 visitors per day - giving a snapshot of our nation and what makes us uniquely Australian. As Queensland chef I created several dishes highlighting our produce in several lunches, dinners and cocktail parties.

Chef's Travel Tips:

In Shanghai you can eat well for under $5.00 in the wet markets.
Shanghai's food is as cosmopolitan as any major city in the world.

Moreton Bay seafood and lemongrass broth
Serves 6

Ingredients
1.2L chicken stock
6 large tiger prawns, shelled and deveined
12 Hervey Bay scallops
12 x 40g pieces snapper, raw
120g crab meat, cooked
2 stems lemongrass, bruised
1 small piece ginger, chopped
1 small piece turmeric, chopped
6 Kaffir lime leaves
1 lime, juice only
12 mint leaves
1 bay leaf
12 leaves Vietnamese mint
1 dessertspoon palm sugar
50ml fish sauce
18 coriander leaves

Method
Bring stock, fish sauce, ginger, turmeric, bay leaf, lime leaves and lemongrass to a simmer (approximately 15 minutes).
Adjust seasoning with fish sauce and strain.
Add lime juice, prawns and snapper. After 2 minutes add scallops. Leave for 2 minutes.
Divide evenly between 6 bowls with crab meat, mint, Vietnamese mint and coriander leaves.

Queensland Wine Match: 2007 Heritage Estate Chardonnay

Tiger, Tiger burning bright!

I love big, fat, juicy Queensland prawns - in particular the different varieties of Kings, like the Ocean Kings and Red Spot King that are caught along the length of the Queensland coast. They are in plentiful supply right now. I also like cooking with the Black Tigers (pictured).

I recently read about a breakthrough by CSIRO scientists and the prawn industry in the breeding of aquaculture Black Tiger prawns.

Approximately fifty percent of all prawns sold in Australia are currently imported from China and Vietnam, so the development of an Australian prawn that breeds in captivity is a major gain for both the Queensland prawn industry and Australian consumers.

The prawns have beautifully textured meat and a rich colour. In the past two years, they have won five gold medals at Sydney's Royal Easter Show. If you want to learn more about Queensland prawns, the industry has an excellent web site, which I've listed below my recipe.

Gnocchi and Prawns in Tomato Sauce
Serves 6

Ingredients
24 large prawns, shelled and de-veined
25ml vegetable oil

Tomato Sauce
500g Roma tomatoes, blanched, peeled and diced
or
1 small tin Italian peeled tomatoes, diced
1/2 large brown onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
50ml extra virgin olive oil
18 large fresh basil leaves

Gnocchi
250g potatoes, preferably Kipfler, Bintje or another waxy style
25g butter
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup plain flour
2 pinches nutmeg
80g parmesan, grated
2 dessertspoons semolina

Method
Peel and boil potatoes until soft. Drain well and mash finely.
Add butter, egg yolks, flour, nutmeg, parmesan and semolina.
Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Bring 4L of lightly salted water to the boil in a heavy pot.
With a teaspoon, drop small amount of mixture into the water.
Use small amount at a time to avoid sticking.
After gnocchi is cooked (3-5 minutes) remove from pot with a slotted spoon and drop into cold water.
Warm olive oil in a heavy based pot. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add garlic and tomato. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Saute prawns in vegetable oil until almost cooked. Add tomato sauce, gnocchi and basil (retain 1/3 basil leaves and slice finely for garnish).
Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Divide evenly between 6 bowls.
Garnish and serve immediately.

Visit http://www.queenslandprawns.com/index.html