Queensland Week

Celebrate Queensland Week (4-13 June) this year by eating prawns!

The most popular prawn purchased in Australia are Kings, which are found up and down the coast of Queensland. The Eastern King Prawn is the favourite species. In South-East Queensland they are known as the Mooloolaba prawn. Other varieties include Banana Prawns, Tiger Prawns and Endeavour Prawns.

Prawns are a versatile option for lunch and dinner all year round. They are great in salads, curries and pastas. They marry well with butter, garlic, white wine, fennel and basil to name just a few herbs!

Retailers participating in the Queensland Week Promotions are Morgans, Scarborough; Samies Girl, Hamilton; Woolworths, Garden City and North Lakes; Fisheries on the Spit, Mooloolaba; Fish @ Chancellor, Chancellor Park and Woolworths, Kawana Waters.

Morrocan spiced prawns with couscous
Serves 6

Ingredients
24 green king prawn cutlets
150ml mayonnaise
1 medium chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 lime, juice only
12 mint leaves, finely sliced
1/2 tsp fish sauce

Mix together to combine.

Marinade
150ml vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground garam marsala
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lime, zest only

Mix together to combine. Rub into prawn cutlets. Leave in fridge for 1-2 hours.

Cous Cous
200g couscous
1 generous pinch of saffron strands
1 tsp tumeric powder
40g dried currants
1 lime, zest and juice
1 dessertspoon of preserved lemon rind, finely chopped
18 mint leaves, finely chopped
18 coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
200ml chicken stock or vegetable stock, boiling

Place couscous, saffron, tumeric and currants in a stainless steel bowl.

Pour hot stock over and combine well. Add lime zest and juice, lemon rind, mint, coriander, chilli. Combine. Keep warm.
Remove prawn cutlets from marinade and pat dry.
Sear on a hot barbeque or preheated frypan for 40 seconds each side.
Remove and let rest.
Give prawns a generous slurp of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Divide couscous evenly between 6 plates and place cutlets around it.
Serve with mayonnaise on the side.

To learn more about Queensland prawns visit http://www.queenslandprawns.com/
Find out what's on this Queensland week at www.premiers.qld.gov.au/events/queensland-week.aspx
Lunch on Q is back for the final time in 2011 so don’t miss the chance to taste the best seasonal Queensland produce accompanied by local wine. http://www.foodandwineonq.com/lunch.html

Sweet leeks

In most regions of Queensland, leek production is restricted to the Winter months. Only in areas where Summer is very mild (eg Stanthorpe) can leeks be grown.
They have a mild, sweet flavour and add great taste to a host of dishes especially during these colder months!
The leek has the many health benefits of its cousins; garlic and onion. They are a good source of Vitamin B, C, folate and iron.
The edible portions are the white base and light green stalk. The dark green is usually discarded as it holds less flavour.
Leeks marry well with roasted meats, cheese (cheddar and parmesan) and bacon.

Chefs tips:
When choosing leeks, look for medium sized, white, crisp, unspoilt bulbs. Avoid yellowing tops!
Store unwashed and untrimmed in the fridge where they will keep fresh for 1-2 weeks.
When it's time to prepare them, remove the roots and the outer leaves and trim tops. Slice the stalk lengthways, separate the layers and rinse well.

Barbecued leeks with fregola salad
Serves 6

Ingredients
12 small leeks, trimmed
12 slices prosciutto
2 cups fregola (Sardinian pasta)
pinch saffron threads
1 tbs toasted pine nuts
1 tbs currants
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 red chilli, finely diced
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs sliced basil
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
18 small cherry tomatoes
300g fetta, diced
6 wedges of lemon
3 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground

Method
Blanch leeks in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove and drain.
When cool, pat dry and wrap in prosciutto. Cook fregola and saffron in 4 cups of boiling salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine fregola with pine nuts, currants, onion, chilli, parsley, basil, olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste.
One a medium preheated barbecue plate, cook wrapped leeks until crispy.
Spoon fregola onto plates. Lie leeks on top and finish with tomatoes, fetta and lemon wedges.
If desired, combine the mayonnaise and ground cumin and serve on the side.

Perfect Pineapples

Pineapples were introduced to Bloomfield near Cooktown in North Queensland from Brazil about 100 years ago.
Today, they're also grown in the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay, Yeppoon, Townsville and the Atherton Tableland regions.
They are grown all year round but are at their best from September to the end of May.

Varieties include Cayenne, Bethonga and Mareeba Gold - which all have a smooth crown and the Queen which has a rough crown.

Last year 43,720 tonne of fresh pineapple was produced and sold on the domestic market, with a farm gate value of $46.7 million!

Unlike other fruits, pineapples are picked when they are ripe.

To choose a fresh pineapple ensure it has a firm green crown and a sweet smell.

A whole pineapple will last 2-4 days in the fridge.

Sweet, juicy and delicious!

Spicy Pork Cutlet with Pineapple Salsa and Couscous
Serves 6

Ingredients
6 x pork cutlets
1 tsp ground coriander
1 dessertspoon curry powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice

Mix ingredients in a small stainless bowl and pour over cutlets. Leave for 1 hour.

Prepare 3 cups couscous as per instructions on box.

Ingredients
2 cups pineapple, diced into 1 1/2cm cubes
1 tbs chopped coriander
1 tbs chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper

In a heavy based pan on a high heat, saute the diced pineapple until nicely coloured. Remove from the heat. Mix all ingredients in a medium stainless bowl.

In a preheated heavey based pan, cook the cutlets for 5 minutes each side on medium heat. Remove and rest in a warm place. Divide cous cous evenly between 6 plates.
Place one cutlet on each plate and spoon salsa over the top.

Pineapple Chutney with Goats Cheese

Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs water
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper
2cm piece of fresh rosemary
1 pineapple, diced into 1cm cubes
1 tbs currants
250g goat's cheese

Method
In a medium stainless pan, bring all ingredients (except pineapple and currants) to the boil.
Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened. Add pineapple and currants.
Bring back to the boil and remove from the heat. Cool and refrigerate.
Serve at room temperature with cheese and crusty bread.

Feel like something cold and sweet? Mixologist Hayden Wood (Woody's Liquid Kitchen) created this cocktail for Oprah Winfrey's Australian beach 'barbie' using freshly juiced, local pineapples.

HAV-O Cocktail Receipe
Serves 1

Ingredients
3 ounces (approx 90ml) fresh pineapple juice
15 ml liquid from wild hibiscus flowers in syrup
45 ml Sagatiba Pure Cachaca (brazilian rum)
ice
1 wild hibiscus flower from the jar

Method
First, juice half a pineapple. This should give enough juice to make at least 4 drinks.
Add the juice, hibiscus flower syrup (available at most beverage retailers) and cachaca to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour over ice into a tall highball glass.
Garnish with hibiscus flower and serve with a straw.

Visit: http://www.woodysliquidkitchen.com/

Visit: http://www.kingoffruit.com.au/

Visit: http://www.bethonga.com.au/default.asp

Buy local!

My thoughts are with those Queenslanders who continue to be affected by the recent floods.

Now more than ever, it is critical to buy local Queensland produce.

We all need to support businesses (including restaurants) as they recover and keep the economy moving forward.

By all accounts we are going to have plenty of barramundi from North Queensland this season - the main issue will be getting the product to market.

Summer shines on Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay scallops are highly prized by chefs for their sweet flavour and delicate white flesh.
When Serge Dansereau, famed for his use of Australian regional produce was asked to name his top Queensland product recently - you guessed it - he named the Hervey Bay scallop!

However, Hervey Bay has so much more to offer.
This pristine environment where tropical and temperate waters meet produces an abundant and diverse range of sustainable wild caught seafood.

Here is just some of what is available right now -

Scallops, Bugs and Calamari: peak season from November to March.

Prawns: Hervey Bay has a wide range including King prawns, caught in depths of up to 200m, east of Fraser Island and northward to Swains Reef. Tiger and Banana prawns are caught in closer in-shore waters.

Crabs: Blue Swimmer and Spanner crabs are in season now.

Fish: Whiting and Spotty Mackerel are a favourite fish at this time of year.

The Hervey Bay seafood festival and Queensland scallop aquaculture feature in Episode 2 of Off the Eaten Track on Channel 7 at 7pm this Saturday, 11 December.
Visit www.queenslandholidays.com.au/eat

To learn more about Queensland seafood visit http://www.queenslandcatch.com.au/
To learn more about Hervey Bay seafood visit http://www.herveybayseafoodfestival.com.au/
To plan a visit to Hervey Bay visit http://www.frasercoastholidays.info/