Saturday, July 03, 2021

Weekend Cooking: Going Native cooking class

At the beginning of June it was my birthday, and it was one that includes a 0 at the end.



When we originally started talking about what our plans might be for this occasion, it was a couple of years ago and our basic plan included something along the lines of a river cruise in Russia or France. That was Plan A! And obviously Plan A wasn't going to happen in this current pandemic world.



So then we moved on to Plan B, which was to spend the long weekend in Auckland which was open to us as part of the Trans Tasman travel bubble.  A long weekend being touristy and having a fancy dinner on the big day. And this is what was going to be my present. Note the use of the word was. Two weeks before we were due to get on the plane, we had a COVID outbreak and therefore the travel bubble was suspended for us. We also intended to have a small get together with friends but that got cancelled as well.



On to Plan C then. There is a service here called Providoor which enables you to choose meals from any number of fancy restaurants and you just finish them off at home. Sounded like a solid plan, right?  Well, except for the fact that they don't deliver on Mondays.



Plan D - Plan D ended up being getting dinner delivered from a local winery on the Sunday night and then my lovely husband cooked us pancakes for breakfast and then a beautiful dinner. Of course, seeing as we didn't get a long weekend away that was my present then leaves the question of what does he get me as a present.  The answer is a cooking class that features native ingredients.



Whilst native ingredients do feature a lot in Masterchef, they are not something that I have explored myself very much so this was a lot of fun. We got to taste many ingredients include saltbush, finger limes 



The first thing that we made was gnocchi. Now, I can hear you thinking that gnocchi isn't really native Australian cuisine, and it's true! I am not generally the biggest fan of gnocchi as I often find it heavy, but I did enjoy this one. The gnocchi was made with a mixture of riced potato and potato starch, along with shredded barilla (also known as bower spinach). It was then topped with a sauce made from strong Australian cheddar and with slices of black garlic. A handy tip for the sauce was to use a small amount of the potato cooking water with the cheese so that it becomes saucy.



I was really interested in trying the black garlic as it used a lot in fancy cooking shows and always seemed a bit cheffy, but having now tasted it, I can see why it is so popular.  It has a sweetness to it but it does have a lingering aftertaste of garlic to it. Even just writing this post has me getting distracted on how to make your own black garlic




Our next course was damper flatbread which was then served up just cooked with a native herb dip and cottage cheese. I remember making damper in primary school, but I have always had it as a roll/loaf. I really enjoyed these, and they are very easy.



The third thing that we made was fish with a herb and macadamia nut marinade, which was steamed in a banana leaf. Whilst we did get a link to some recipes, a lot of the ingredients in the recipe are different to those that we used. Part of the reason for this is that a lot of the herbs were foraged which means that they had to use what they could find.



You may be able to see the little pink pearls on top. They are finger lime, which is another new to me ingredient. These little balls are sharp little bursts of citrus. My husband is now going to see if he can propagate some seeds, although I have been told that even if we are successful it will be a good few years before we will have our own finger limes.



The final course was kangaroo fillet with taro and a sauce which included davidson plums and native plums. On the right hand side you can see a confit king oyster mushroom which was then added to the frying pan for a few minutes to get a bit of colour. 



Kangaroo is a very lean meat and so you can't overcook it because it becomes very tough very quickly. This whole plate of food was delicious, although by the end of it I had way too much to eat. The class also included wine and a killer music soundtrack!




I really enjoyed the class I did. It is interesting that the place that ran it actually runs courses for a lot of different cuisines. Now I am trying to convince Robert that the next time I do a cooking class we do it together, whether it be here or somewhere else!



Weekly menu


Sunday-


Monday-


Tuesday-


Wednesday  - Enchiladas


Thursday - Takeaway


Friday -Takeaway









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18 comments:

  1. I seem to be a baby when it comes to trying game meat. For me the taste is too strong. I have always attributed it to the fact that my dad was not a hunter and we ways ate beef, chicken, and pork. However, I loved reading about tour class, it sounds like a fun adventure. Ps, happy birthday!

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    1. I haven't eaten a lot of kangaroo, but I couldn't exactly not eat it seeing as I was there. It was actually very nice.

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  2. Wow! What a meal!!! I need to find some black garlic -- I've never had it (that I know of). Now I'm curious. I've never had kangaroo, but if I ever get to your part of the world, I'll definitely give it a try.

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    1. Don't forget to try the crocodile too! Although I haven't eaten much of that myself! Maybe we can find some other authentic Australian flavours for you to try!

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  3. I've never had black garlic either, as BFR mentioned. Or kangaroo. What a cool birthday meal and I am sorry you weren't able to enjoy your original plans.

    You, me and Shellyrae are the June babies i have counted so far :-)

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    1. I think there are a few other June babies around!

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  4. Happy Birthday! I am sorry you weren't able to celebrate it as planned (and replanned) but it sounds like you at least got in some good eating. The class sounds so interesting--I love learning about native ingredients. It's been a few years since I have cooked with black garlic and I agree, it is good. I didn't realize you could make it though so now I want to make some! ;-)

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    1. I don't think it is hard to make black garlic, it just takes time!

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  5. I had to read your plans to John, as it sounds like us!
    I see all those ingredients on M/C AU and would love to try them, esp. the finger limes.
    Had to laugh about the black garlic as we were watching Top Chef (Portland) last night and they used black garlic and John asked if I had heard of it to which I said yes M/C AU!!
    Had kangaroo in Australia and liked it.
    P.S. have done the Russian river cruise and loved it!

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    1. One day we will get to do the cruise! One day!

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  6. All sounds very interesting. Sorry your plans had to change, but sounds like you found an interesting alternative.

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    1. Lucky we have plans A, B, C and D all the time now. Have to roll with the punches!

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  7. What a fabulous meal! I'm sorry you weren't able to take either of your trips, but it sounds like you had a nice celebration. Maybe you can go on a river cruise next year. We've done the Great Rivers cruise on Grand Circle and loved it! It's similar to the Viking Cruises, but a smaller ship. Happy Belated birthday!

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    1. I don't think we will be able to leave the country by next year! Maybe thhe year after.

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  8. I think really good gnocchi is not heavy but I have experienced both kinds.

    My mother and I are supposed to go on a riverboat cruise to Provence. It got postponed once when she got hit by a car in 2019 (crossing the street) and again during Covid. I bought our plane tickets last week so I hope we can safely go in September! I have a paperback copy of Madam, Will You Talk? to bring with us.

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  9. I hope you get to go this year CLM!

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  10. Although the class sounds fabulous, I'm really intrigued by the soundtrack. :) Happy belated birthday and hope things open up for you again soon.

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    1. I wish I had of asked for his list. Probably too late now!

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