Chef Shane Wilson weaves native ingredients through The Henry Austin’s ever-changing catalogue of Australian “yum cha”. In this case, it’s kangaroo.
“I know Attica does a raw kangaroo dish [but] it’s still not something you see often,” says Wilson. “I’ve done [it] for a little while – mucked around with raw kangaroo – because it’s so lean and tender.” It gives the non-traditional tartare a “gamey” flavour.
Wilson warns against supermarket-bought roo, though. “Anything you get – whether it’s seafood or meat – if it’s of super fresh quality, you can eat it raw.” He suggests Paroo Premium Kangaroo.
Cooking with native game meats is easier than you think. Give it a go at home.
Kangaroo tartare with sweet potato puree, white sweet potato crisps and fried shallots
Kangaroo tartare
Ingredients
100g kangaroo strip loin, diced
1 tbsp shallots, diced
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
3 drops of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 pinches of sea salt
Method
Mix all ingredients together. Adjust lemon, salt and mustard to taste.
Sweet potato puree
Ingredients
1 sweet potato
Cream
Salt
Method
Roast whole sweet potato in its skin for approximately two hours on 180°C. Peel, and blend in a food processor with a small amount of cream. Season with salt and blend until you have a smooth puree.
White sweet potato crisps and fried shallots
Ingredients
1 white sweet potato, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
Salt
Method
Deep-fry sweet potato at 150°C until golden and crisp. Dry on paper towel and season with salt. Follow the same process with the shallots and set aside.
To assemble, place tartare mix in the bottom of a bowl. Top with fried shallots, pipe on sweet potato puree and place white sweet potato crisps around the outside. Serve.
