Summer seafood

Recently I talked about Red Throat Emperor... here is a recipe I recommend, perfect for a summer lunch.

Baked Red Emperor with soba noodle salad
Serves 6

Ingredients
Salad
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, mix thoroughly.

120g soba noodles, cooked
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
1 red chilli, julienned
1/4 medium Daikon (white radish), peeled and julienned
2 lebanese cucumber, peeled, de seeded and julienned
75g bamboo shoots, julienned
50g pickled ginger, julienned
1/2 medium salad onion, peeled and finely sliced
30g bean sprouts
30g snow pea sprouts
18 coriander leaves
18 mint leaves
18 vietnamese mint leaves

Coconut Dressing
Blend and strain the following ingredients:

1 tsp caster sugar or palm sugar
150 ml coconut cream
3 limes, juiced
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp sambal olek
1 dessertspoon ketjap manis*
1 clove garlic
1 coriander root

Fish
1 Red Emperor (2.5kg scaled and gutted)
4 stems lemon grass, peeled, crushed and chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves
2 red chillies, cut in half
50 ml ketjap manis
2 limes, halved
25g butter
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 stems of coriander, chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Spread out aluminium foil and lay down the red emperor.
Cover the fish with crushed lemon grass, lime leaves, chilli, butter, ketjap manis, limes, garlic and coriander stems.
Wrap up and place on a baking tray. Place in fan forced oven for approximately 30 minutes.
Remove to cool slightly.
Divide salad evenly between 6 plates. Using a slice or a spoon, remove fish from off the bone and place next to salad.
Dress with coconut dressing and serve.

Marvellous mangoes

The Queensland mango season is about to start, so it's time to think about how you can make them a feature of your summer menu. There are lots of different varieties to choose from - my preference is the more acidic varieties because I like to use them in savoury dishes. The Kensington Pride (aka Bowen) mango remains the most poular breed among Australian consumers. The Calypso (pictured) a breed developed in Queensland is a cross between the Kensington Pride and a Florida Red Blush variety that gives it a distinctive red/pink blush. It has a smaller seed and firm, sweet fibreless flesh which makes it excellent for salads and cooking. Other varieties include the Honey Gold - very sweet and good in smoothies or with ice cream; the R2E2; Keitt and the Kent. 67% of Australia's mangoes are grown in North Queensland and the season runs from late November to March.

Choosing a good mango is relatively simple. You use your nose. You can usually tell the perfectly ripe mango by how it smells. Give it a good sniff - the aroma should be strong but sweet. After choosing a ripe mango, store it in the refrigerator and eat it within three days.

Macadamia nut parfait with caramelized mango

Serves 6

Ingredients
100g roasted macadamia nuts

1 vanilla pod

175 ml milk

2 egg yolks

50g caster sugar

1 dessertspoon honey

200ml whipped cream

2 whipped egg whites

2 Honey Gold mangoes cut into slices

4 dessertspoons castor sugar

Method

Split vanilla bean and heat with milk.

Cream egg yolks and sugar and then slowly add vanilla milk.

Heat in a heavy based pot on low until mix lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and cool.

Remove vanilla bean.

When cool, add whipped cream, honey, egg whites and 75g of macadamia nuts. Fold lightly.

Pour into 6 moulds, cover and place in freezer overnight.

To unmould, run around edge with a pairing knife or dip quickly into boiling water.

Turn out onto plates.

Sprinkle sliced mango with castor sugar and place under a hot grill until caramelized.

Allow to cool and place next to each parfait.

Garnish with macadamia nuts.

Summer seafood

Summer in Queensland equals fresh seafood. Most people will know about iconic Queensland products - Gulf barra, Crystal Bay prawns, Hervey Bay scallops, Moreton Bay bugs and oysters.

This summer I'd encourage everyone to experiment with something different on the BBQ perhaps a coral reef fish like the Red Throat Emperor from North Queensland. The fish is line caught in a sustainably managed fishery. It has a moist, firm flesh that's easily removed from the frame after cooking.

Queensland grown summer produce showcase

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries recently hosted a produce showcase at Restaurant Two. One of the featured products was kangaroo. This is a low cost, healthy lean meat. I know a lot of people find it tricky to cook with as it has so little fat. It needs to be cooked either rare or medium - I think the problem is overcooking. I like working with the loin but I think anyone who hasn't used it before and wants to try it should perhaps use the mince in a lasagne or a spaghetti bolognaise. Here's the recipe I prepared for the showcase:

Seared kangaroo loin with beetroot risotto

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 x 100g kangaroo loin

2 large beetroot, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon horseradish, grated

1 salad onion, diced small

200ml red wine vinegar

1 dessertspoon castor sugar

1/2 orange, zest and juice

50g dried currants

200g Arborio rice

100g butter

700ml chicken stock

75g grated parmesan

1/2 brown onion, finely diced

9 baby beetroot

2 large leeks, cut into pieces

20ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

In a heavy-based pot, over a medium heat, combine grated beetroot, horseradish, salad onion, red-wine vinegar, castor sugar, orange zest and juice and currants. Stir.

Reduce heat to low and cook until reduced (1 hour). Reserve.

Heat 50g butter in a heavy based pot on low and sweat brown onion.

Put in the rice and add chicken stock until rise is just covered and stir whilst cooking for 15 minutes.

Add parmesan, 50g butter and beetroot.

In a medium pot of boiling, salted water, cook leek pieces for 7-10 minutes, then drain.

Bring a small pot of salted water with unpeeled baby beetroot to the boil and simmer until cooked.

Remove and rub off skins. Cut in half and keep warm.

In a heavy based pan over high heat, sear seasoned kangaroo for 2-3 minutes each side. Reserve.

Divide risotto evenly on 6 plates, place baby beetroot halves and pieces of leek.

Finish with kangaroo and serve.

To learn more about the kangaroo industry in Queensland click here...

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_15048.htm

For an interesting article about kangaroo click here...
http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/kangatarians-the-latest-niche-in-green-food-market/1745703.aspx

To find out more about Queensland produce, QPIF producer showcases and QPIF food science subscribe to the Queensland grown e-newsletter click here...

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/16_11645.htm