Taste & See: Experience the Flavors of Australia
Earlier this year, we started our Taste & See series to explore the flavors of countries across the world. My husband and I found ourselves getting stuck in a cooking rut, and he suggested we could try recipes from different countries in order to change it up. I can’t resist an invitation to explore cultures and history and flavors, and the idea for this series was born. I’m learning I am a research junkie, and this sounded like way too much fun to pass up. Every so often we will explore the flavors, customs, and dishes from one country in particular. This will often include an exploration of traditional foods, a recipe or two, and fun things like themed playlists and sometimes interviews with people who have a connection to the country featured that month.
This month we are traveling to the land down under - Australia! The land of kangaroos, koalas, the Irwins, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and so many poisonous plants and animals. I have never wanted so badly to go somewhere with so many dangerous things that could kill me. But I desperately want to go! The pictures of Australia are stunning and I want to experience the beautiful beaches and the Great Barrier Reef as well as the outback and Uluru. Australia features so many contrasts and extremes I would love to experience in person. Until that dream can become a reality, I enjoyed learning about Australia through my research and “armchair travel” and I can’t wait to share my findings with you!
Here are some quick facts on Australia (many of which have been explored in greater detail in Bill Bryson’s book, In a Sunburned Country):
It is the world’s smallest continent and the 6th largest country.
It is the only island that is also a continent, the only continent that is also a country.
It is the only nation that began as a prison.
Australia’s land mass is just under 3 million square miles, making it about the size of the United States without California or Texas.
25 million people live in Australia, primarily along the coastlines as the center of the country is primarily desert.
The Kangaroo and the Emu are Australia’s national animals.
The Great Barrier Reef (located in Eastern Australia) is the world’s largest living organism. It is considered one of the Natural Wonders of the World.
Uluru (also known as Ayer’s Rock) is considered to be the largest monolith in the world. At it’s widest point, it measures 8 kilometres (or just under 5 miles).
The explorer Lieutenant James Cook is attributed with being the first European explorer to have laid eyes on Australia in 1770. In 1788, Britain established a colony in what is now considered New South Wales as a place to send the nation’s convicts. Before their arrival, many Aboriginal tribes lived throughout the island and had been there for hundreds of thousands of years prior. These indigenous tribes are considered to be one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
Just as I struggled to keep the history portion light in our exploration of Peru, I find myself struggling to give a quick overview of Australia’s history without speaking to the devastation of the native peoples. The European explorers arrived with diseases that decimated the Aboriginal tribes. It is estimated that 750,000 people lived on the Island in 1788. Within one year of European arrival, half of the population died from the diseases that came with them. Racism and violence against these native tribes followed in the years to come and native population today only makes up 15% of the overall population. I thoroughly enjoyed Bill Bryson’s book, In a Sunburned Country. He recounts his travels through Australia, through the cities and the outback and along the coasts. He explores the history of these native peoples as well, the violence done to them, and the general attitude toward this people group, and he conveys the current situation in far greater detail than I can briefly here. It was a perspective and exploration I needed. I feel like we have made so many strides in the right direction as mankind, but there is so much undone, and still so much to do.
As for the flavors of Australia, I learned that in general Australians enjoy vibrant flavors in interesting combinations, and prefer the freshest ingredients. Much like the U.S. (and Peru for that matter), Australia has an incredible immigrant population and has become a melting pot of flavors. Street food is very popular and you can easily find food trucks with tacos or kebabs. Pizza is one of the most popular dishes and is delivered American style - with a thick crust and lots of variety of toppings (although thin crust Neapolitan style is getting very popular as well). A traditional Australian hamburger is served with beetroot, pineapple, bacon, and a fried egg. For Australian’s attending rugby matches or Australian Rules Football, attendees can often be found with a beer in one hand and a meat pie in the other (a traditional meat pie is a handheld pastry filled with meat and gravy). Pub food is similar to what you would find in Britain with touches from other countries - sausages and mashed potatoes, chicken parmesan with fried potatoes, or chicken schnitzel with salad.
As the country is so large, fresh foods vary from region to region. Along the coastlines, fresh fish and shellfish of all varieties are plentiful. In the Rainforest, citrus fruits thrive and one can also find a variety of herbs. The High Country boasts of mountain peppers and alpine berries and dried fruits and meats are a staple of the desert. Native foods exclusive to Australia include Kangaroo, Emu, and Crocodile meats, Barramundi fish, and quandongs, kakadu plums, and riberries.
I also learned that cafes are extremely popular in Australia, as is strong espresso coffee (my kind place!). Fish and Chips is a popular favorite, often it is shark that is battered and fried for this dish. And how can we not talk about Australian barbecues? Yes, yes, it is the first stereotype I thought of too, that every Australian uses the phrase - “Throw another shrimp on the barbie.” While that may not be entirely accurate, barbecues and grilling are very popular. Most Australian barbecues could include hamburgers, seafood, skewers with vegetables and meat, sausages (or “snags” as they call them), and steaks. With this in mind, I have featured a recipe below for your next grill out. It might simply be because of the stereotypical Australian phrase, but I couldn’t resist including a grilled shrimp option! The sauce in the recipe sets it apart, we loved the zing of it paired with the fries as well as the steak and shrimp.
This recipe is a blend of this one and this one from Taste.com.au. Delicious!
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil for frying
Two potatoes, peeled and cut into strips
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste
2-4 thinly cut boneless ribeye steaks
2-3 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
For the sauce:
2 jalapenos
1 avocado, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of fresh parsley leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lime rind, finely grated and juiced
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 a cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of water
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Directions:
For the sauce:
Finely chop and deseed 1 jalapeno pepper, set aside. Coarsely chop and deseed remaining pepper and place in food processor or blender with avocado, sour cream, lime rind, parsley, garlic, cumin, lime juice, and coriander. Slowly add the olive oil and water until combined, scraping the side of the processor as needed. Transfer to serving bowl, stir in most of the onion and remaining jalapeno. Sprinkle with remaining onions and jalapenos for garnish.
For the meat & potatoes:
Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan until hot for frying. Fry the potatoes in batches until crispy and golden. Drain on paper towel.
Add olive oil, paprika, and salt & pepper in a bowl. Add beef and shrimp to coat completely.
Heat a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Cook the steaks to preferred temperature and set aside (remember steak will continue to cook while resting). Add shrimp to same pan and cook through, about 2-4 minutes.
Serve the steak with the shrimp, fries, and avocado-jalapeno dip for an Australian style meal (serves 2-4 people).
Be sure to enjoy with a glass of Australian shiraz and our Australian Dinner Playlist in the background! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, enjoy!
Further Reading:
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson: I thoroughly enjoyed this book on Australia by the legendary Bill Bryson. Part travel memoir, part exploration of history and cultures, it is perfect for armchair travel.
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley: This delightful YA novel explores young love, loss, and literature from within an Australian used bookstore. The author is a native Australian and I loved the small taste of experiences Australian culture.
Aboriginal Heritage Office: I really enjoyed reading the articles on this site covering the history of Australia’s native peoples.
Taste.com.au: This site features amazing traditional and modern Australian recipes, perfect for the cook that wants to experience far off places through new flavors.\
Wine Enthusiast’s Guide to Australian Wine: Perfect for finding the right pairing to go with the Australian recipes from Taste.com.au.
Additional Resources used in research: