Saturday 8 September 2007

Garlic ‘Roo on Semolina Pancake

Grilled Garlic Kangaroo served with Wilted Spinach, Semolina Pancake and Green Chilli Jam

The Kangaroo is an Aussie symbol. We also eat kangaroo meat which is 98% fat-free, high in protein, zinc and iron. Have a look at how kangaroo compares to other types of meats here. The Australian kangaroo industry estimates that it exports kangaroo meat to more than 55 countries. The European Union and Russia are the most significant markets with the USA and Asia becoming increasingly important.

The only draw back (for some) is that kangaroo meat has a slight gamey flavour. Quikong won’t touch it because it tastes too ‘roo (i.e. gamey) for him. I’m basically on my own when it comes to having some kangaroo meat.

Cooking kangaroo meat:
Due the stronger flavour, I always marinade kangaroo fillets before coking it. For this meal, I marinated it in crushed garlic, dried coriander, chilli powder and sesame oil. Kangaroo fillet is best eaten quite rare. Since it is so low in fat, over-cooking it makes it tough. In a hot pan or bbq, cook kangaroo fillet for 2 minutes on each side. Then lower the heat and cook for a further 1-2 minutes for rare and 3-4 for medium rare. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. For more tips on cooking different cuts of kangaroo meats, have a look here.

Since it was raining intermittently all day yesterday, I was stuck at home and had to time to get all “fancy” with my lunch. I served the kangaroo fillet with wilted spinach (steam in the microwave, then stir through a little butter or EV olive oil and sea salt) and garlic & chive semolina pancake. I topped it off with green chilli jam. The recipe for the semolina pancakes can be found here.



Since this is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB)#99 which is hosted by the lovely Katie, I have chosen to highlight one of the ingredients that I used for this post. It is something interesting that I discovered while perusing the green grocer.

What looks like an onion but tastes like garlic?



Let me introduce you to the single clove garlic / single bulb garlic. Some sources on the internet likened it to elephant garlic, which actually belong to the same species as the leek. This is when it gets confusing because other sources reported that the single bulb garlic is the result of planting immature garlic clove and is also called garlic onion. Can someone clarify this for me?

Peeled

Tasting Note:
Although its flavour is mellow compared to regular garlic, it seems more creamy, moist, plump and easier to use. No wonder it has been referred to as the “non-garlic lover’s garlic”.

Use and storage:
To peel, trim the top and base and slip off the papery skin. Slice, chop, mince or crush the garlic and use as desired. This garlic is best stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator and used within two weeks of purchasing.


Cross-section

Using a single clove garlic makes my job so much easier because we use a lot of garlic in our cooking. Not need to waste time peeling garlic when I need garlic in large quantities such as when I am roasting/caramelising garlic, making pesto, garlic bread, etc. I am pro-garlic. It makes most savoury dishes taste better.

Do drop by Katie’s Blog, Thyme for Cooking, at the end of the week for WHB#99 round up.


26 comments:

Anh said...

Nora, what an interesting article! I love the kangroo steak you have there, too. Yum! (I am a meat lover - confession!). :D

Truffle said...

That photo took my breath away. I love a good piece of meat and haven't cooked kangaroo in ages. Thanks for the inspiration. Great article too!

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I've never tried kangaroo meat, but will look for it in the gourmet market. As for the single-clove garlic, I think I have some growing in my garden. I didn't plan for it, but I stuck some garlic cloves in the ground last fall, and what's come out looks more like your photo than a traditional head of garlic. Now I know!

Wendy said...

Sounds hugely exotic to me! Looks a lot like venison (which I love). Is it comparable?
Great photo. :)

Katie Zeller said...

I'm with Wendy - it does look and sound a bit like venison - a bit gamey, needs to be rare, etc. I've seen it at the supermarket at Christmas (they get a lot of exotic meats) I may try it this year....
I would really like to find the garlic.... it would save me tons of time, too. Great post!

Stella said...

That's one of the most beautiful dishes I've seen so far! And wow, kangaroo!?!?!? Never tried that!

Anonymous said...

Very interesting, and I love idea of not having to peel each garlic clove...! I wish I could buy them here. I love to eat garlic, but I hate to peel it.. that is why I use often in my recipes garlic flakes, garlic granules and garlic powder instead.
Greetings, Margot

test it comm said...

That look really good! I have never had kangaroo meat before . I will have to make sure that I get to try it sometime. I have also never seen the elephant garlic before. Food blogging is great, I am continuously learning new things.

Nora B. said...

Anh - Thanks. I am a meat lover, but I am a bit choosy though, I only eat the good stuff (i.e. tender pieces) or else I rather stick to vegetables ;-)

Truffle - Thanks! It was so hard to take the photo due to the bad weather. I would cook more kangaroo if my partner likes it. It's boring to cook for one.

Lydia - How cool that you have a single clove garlic growing in your garden! Does it have the same flavour as regular garlic or more mellow like the ones I'm using?

Wendy & Katie - Isn't it wonderful how some things that are ordinary in one country can seem exotic to another. I'm actually not sure how the two meats compare because I've only had venison once and it was a looooong time ago. Now I am curious to try venison again.

Valentina - Thanks for that glowing compliment. *blush*

Margot - I love using fresh garlic so much that I don't usually mind doing all that peeling. But this single-clove one certainly helps.

Kevin - Food blogging is great, isn't it. I learn something new everyday.

Cynthia said...

I enjoyed this post because I learnt so much, about kangaroo meat and the single-clove garlic. Thanks, Nora.

Anonymous said...

I have never had kangaroo...you make it look tempting.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

There used to be an Australian restaurant in a nearby town. They served kangaroo steaks and burgers but I never tried it. You make it look and sound delicious.

Kelly-Jane said...

Lovely post, and great presentation.

I don't think I could eat kangaroo, when we were is Sydney we visited a place outside the city where we spent ages with the kangaroos, I had my pic taken with one and kept in on the mantlepiece for about a year after we came home! I wouldn't eat rabbit either, and we used to have them as pets, and all I can think about it holding my cute little bunnies - and of course Peter Rabbit doesn't help! haha.

Kelly-Jane said...

Lovely post, and great presentation.

I don't think I could eat kangaroo, when we were is Sydney we visited a place outside the city where we spent ages with the kangaroos, I had my pic taken with one and kept in on the mantlepiece for about a year after we came home! I wouldn't eat rabbit either, and we used to have them as pets, and all I can think about it holding my cute little bunnies - and of course Peter Rabbit doesn't help! haha.

Anonymous said...

Incidentally, I just did a game meat post too. I think I tried 'roo meat when I was on vacation in Aus too! :D

Anonymous said...

I've never had kangaroo before. I don't think I've seen it in stores over here but I'm so ready to give it a try -- and yum with garlic!

KellytheCulinarian said...

How beautifully cooked. I've never had kangaroo, but now I'd love to try it.

Big Boys Oven said...

this dish looks so inviting, you make me so tempted to oreder them from you know.....DHL over plaese...lol.

Nora B. said...

Cynthia - Thanks, I'm glad that I share a bit about this national icon :-)

Kristen, Amanda - Thank you. The first time I had kangaroo meat, it was really good, so I guess that helped form a positive impression.

Kelly-Jane - I know what you mean. Whenever I visit a farm, I would be vegetarian for a few weeks. But then I get cravings ;-)

tigerfish - Great minds think alike :-) I would like to try other "exotic" meats.

veron & Kelly Mahoney - Do give it a try, just remember to marinate it if you don't like gamey flavours in general and don't over cook it.

Big Boys Oven - Thank you! It's now in my stomach lol!

Janet said...

That looks fantastic and the presentation is incredible. I love trying new things I would love to try kangaroo sometime. Never seen it to buy here in Canada.

winedeb said...

I remember having my first kangaroo meat on my trip to your beautiful country many years ago. It was such a treat. We were doing a wine tasting afternoon in Hunter Valley and we had the kangaroo for lunch. It was served with a dark berry sauce, but I cannot remember which berry. I do remember it was very good.
Interesting garlic info also!

Nora B. said...

Janet - Thank you. I had a bit of time to plate the food since my partner wasn't eating the kangaroo. He normally rushes me so I have to take food photos quickly.

Deb - Oh, I love the hunter region. It's just 1.5 hr drive from where we live. Time for me to make another trip there soon. I bought a lot of beautiful wines during my last trip there earlier this year. Kangaroo goes well with berry or plum sauce.

Kalyn Denny said...

Just fascinating, not only the stuff I didn't know about kangaroo meat, but I've never heard of single clove garlic either. Great post!

Kirsten said...

WOW! I would love to try kangaroo meat. And the photo and presentation is really lovely.

I just bought my first batch of the one-clove garlic about a month ago and while I like it - it seems drier somehow, or with less water content than normal garlic, and it's much milder. I used an entire bulb for a dish or two and barely noticed any garlic flavor. I wonder how it is roasted?

Lovely post!!!

Nora B. said...

Kalyn - Thank you. I thought that the single clove garlic was an interesting find too.

Kirsten - Thank you! I agree with you that the flavour is milder, but the ones I got were similar to texture as regular garlic. Perhaps the ones you bough could be a bit older? Because these single cloves should be kept in a cool place and does not have a long shelf life. I don't think that I will stop using regular garlic, but I can see myself buying single cloves every so often because it does make cooking a lot quicker. It caramelized really well because I think it may have a higher sugar content.

Anonymous said...

I had no idea anyone ate kangaroo! I thought it was like a protected species or something.