It is one of the trends of the moment and no one can escape, not even coming to Australia.
Unfortunately, here in Australia Covid is still an unresolved issue and just recently the government has declared unsafe some areas around Melbourne and Sydney so I am not going out much to eat.
That means though I am dedicating more time to cooking and to learning some Aussie recipes.
Australian cuisine is a mix of flavours, aromas, traditions...a meeting point and a melting pot between Asia and Europe, between local traditions and new arrivals. So on the street there will certainly be kebabs, spring rolls and even wraps and ice cream but, if you are looking for something more typical to fully experience the atmosphere of this beautiful continent, there are some other dishes not to be missed.
Australian cuisine is born from the union of the culinary traditions of the colonists, mainly of English origin, adapted to make the best use of the local products.
In Australia both Mediterranean and tropical fruits are grown.
The meats preferred by the Australians are those of beef and sheep, but the meat of kangaroos, emus and bison, delicate and low in fat, are also appreciated.
The seas are very rich in fish and offer some unique fish such as very tasty small crabs, barramundi, a large and fine fish halfway between tuna and swordfish, with a delicate flavour.
Some Aussie specialty I am preparing on a weekly basis are:
Jaffle in Australia it is synonymous with sandwich. We could rather call it a pocket of bread because the peculiarity of this specialty is that it is sealed with a particular round-shaped toaster. And the stuffing? Vegetables, cheese, meat (pork, beef, kangaroo, etc.), cold cuts, scrambled eggs, but also the sweet versions with chocolate, ice cream, jam, fruit...in short, you will be spoiled for choice!
Chiko roll was created around the early 1950s. An Australian man had a catering that dealt with selling snacks during the matches and so he had the idea of creating a roll of meat (usually mutton or beef) and vegetables. You can buy it on the street, especially near the railway stations, or in stores specializing in fish'n’chips. The phyllo dough in which the filling is wrapped is thicker than the Asian rolls and therefore it is easy to eat this snack on the fly.
I have tried to make them at home and they are easy to make and so yummy!
Mango prawns are prepared on the barbeque in Australia but they are called shrimps even when they are big prawns.
Prawns and mango are a combination of sure success for lovers of particular flavours, in addition to the preparation a marinade of lemon and oil and lettuce leaves will be added.
This is my recipe for mango prawn salad:
Cut the shrimp/prawns into cubes if you prefer or keep them whole, peel the mangoes and cut them into cubes too. Wash the lime and cut it into cubes.
Pour everything into a bowl adding mayonnaise (optional), mix carefully. Put everything in the refrigerator and serve chill.
You can also prepare prawns with passion fruit and/or with avocado for an even more exotic recipe or add it to the recipe above.
Here in Australia we love the flavour of fish with exotic fruits which are not so exotic here because they grow locally.
You can mix the passion fruit pulp with oil and lemon juice to prepare the dressing. Wash the lettuce and, after drying it, place it on the bottom of a serving dish. Place the previously made mix of prawns and mango on top of the lettuce and garnish everything with the lemon cut into wedges and with the red pepper also cut in strips.
