Its actually quite funny. NZ has a lot more sheep than ppl [population about 4 million humans].
We have a lot of NZ sheep jokes. A few funny incidents have happened at the rugby etc when ppl have taken [usually plastic] sheep along to distract the kiwis [New Zealanders].
But an Aussie comedian said when he went to South Africa he got heckled about being a sheep romancer, and was all confused, as Aussies rnt used to being called sheep romancers, as the kiwis are.
Besides which 90% I would say of Australians wouldn't know a sheep if they fell over one.
Ah yes thankyou a! BARRAMUNDI. Barracuda! Sheesh, what a fool!
Well a lot of ppl would regard possums as a pest here too in Australia [they are noisy buggers], but they are protected I think. Introduced to NZ from Aus I think, gee we're good to our friends accross the Tasman! ;-)
I watched a story about the growing popularity of possum in some butchers in Queensland I believe it was. So I'm not just making it up. It is apparently quite nice, I can't remember exactly how they described it however. Ppl were reluctant, but his orders were growing quite rapidly, and once ppl tried it they loved it.
Which I believe to be a meat pie floating on mushy peas.
Meat pies I thought were ubiquitous, but apparently some Australian baker has opened a meat pie shop in the US and is selling them faster than he can make them. Americans apparently don't actually know what they are. Charging through the nose as gourmet pies or some such thing.
It's minced meat with some sort of light gravy in a usually square pastry encasement. Quite nice. Some classics include steak and mushroom [my favourite], steak and bacon, shepherds pie [mashed potato on top], steak and curry, steak and tomato, chunky steak, chicken.
Yeah I've had some rather nice reds I vaguely recall from the Clare valley (I quite enjoyed a bottle of O'Leary Walker 2002 Pinot Noir from there the other day [I actually thought it was in the Adelaide Hills until I looked in Halliday]). Still in SA also Padthaway, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Riverland, Adelaide Hills all are areas I've enjoyed wines from. So SA is not just the Barossa I guess is the hot tip.
I am obviously not an industry expert, but I suspect the Barossa being the flagship region of Australian wine [particuarly shiraz] has fallen into the wine show trap of making wines specifically for shows and mass produced audiences. That is to say big on flavour [fruit bomb], short term drinking. When what, ~95% of Aus wines are drunk within 2 years, and wine judges are tasting hundreds of wines per day, I guess a fruit bomb is the shortcut to big scores and mass sales.
Talking about WA, I've had a lot of nice wines, suprisingly to me reds included, from the Margaret River region [WA], which seems to be taking off.
I know everyone thinks of Australia as a nation of carnivorous gluttons, wallowing in the easily acquired and relatively econmical lamb and beef in various forms. However, we also have a penchant for glorious fresh seafood.... including some unique to Australia. You cannot beat Barramundi as a fish, and with Tasmanian Oysters, Queensland mud crabs, Moreton Bay Bugs and a few King sized prawns (no, not the trolling types from usenet...:>)) would make an excellent seafood platter. Throw in some fresh water Yabbies and you have a gastronmic sensation!!
Desserts such as pavlova, Peach Melba, or even unique berries and fruit would suffice. Banana Fritters??
Many cheeses, (brilliant cheeses from King Island should be included) and whist not uniquely Australian, are in fact a fine showcase on an international comparison.
The intimation is however, that you will be quaffing Reds predominantly, so Kangaroo, Barbecued Beef Steak or Lamb Chops would be better suited. For me, I'd skip entree's, and dessert, if I could have a medium rare fillet steak with mushroom sauce and a Bottle of Shiraz, after I had tucked into a seafood platter and a West Aussie Sauv. Blanc.
][] ] It doesn't get much more Australian than Kangaroo. Can be very good, beware ] overcooking but not too rare. Would certainly go well with most shiraz. ] Whether you can get it is another matter but there may be specialist meat ] suppliers in your area? Ihave no idea where we export roo too (if at all). ] You should be able to get some good Aussie beef though. ]
Oddly I ran across Kangaroo at a restaurant here in Normandy yesterday. I doubt it's locally produced, and hence assumed it came from oz. I assumed it had been frozen, and passed.
For the yellowtail shiraz crowd there can be no better dish than a Pie floater from the stand near the Hilton in adelaide. Liberally dowsed with dead 'orse of course.
For the Grangers, any classic steak dish made with Roo fillet served rare.
As fish, try a fusion style asian/european stir fry with Moreton bay bugs or Yabbies. Given the number of Italian immigrants, you could precede that with a shrimp risotto, (lemon grass might make an interesting flavouring). Nibbles. Aussie Olive oil with good bread and mixed ground nuts (I've forgotten the name, but it's magic). Adelaide central market has an Olive oil stand where you can get both excellent oils and the powder. Dessert? come ON!!! what's _wrong_ with Pavlova.
Seriously, you don't say what part of the world you live in, so how CAN we have any idea of what's available?
Great suggestions. I want to stay away from the English influenced dishes, like meat pies. I intend to have a seafood course. We get Australian lobster tails here in the states, but I've never seen Tasmanian Oysters. Maybe the chef can find them. I don't think we can have an Australian dinner without serving a nice pavlova. What is a Yabbie?
A yabbie is similar to a marron, or if you like a freshwater crayfish. Incidentally not all Australians eat or even like pavlova. I hate it, finding it coarse, lacking subletly and overly sweet. Then again I intensely dislike the fruit bomb wines with lashings of American oak so beloved by Parker, which many Australian winemakers are turning out these days. They also charge exorbitant prices for these wine caricatures.
Bit late...but how about a good old Aussie meat pie. You could probably get the local bakery to make some meat pies up using premium ingredients to your specs. Splash some Tomator Sauce/Ketchup on them and a nice red and you'll be laughing.
Get Harry's to send some over
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David E PS Until you have had a Harry's pie at 3am in the morning after a big night in Sydney you haven't lived...;-)
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