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131 recipes

Quandong pie

Quandongs, the bright red desert peaches of the outback, have been gathered by Aboriginal people across Central and South Australia for thousands of years, and in the Flinders Ranges and towns like Quorn the bakeries sell quandong pie to travellers. The fruit is tart and tangy, somewhere between peach, apricot and rhubarb. Most people buy it dried or frozen from native food suppliers; dried quandong is soaked first. A common mistake is too little sugar, as the fruit is very sharp. Chef's tip: if you can't get quandong, use a mix of fresh apricots and a little rhubarb.

85 minAustralianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Zucchini slice

Zucchini slice is the lunchbox and picnic favourite of Australian home cooks, baked in a tray from Hobart to Darwin whenever the garden throws up too much zucchini. Grated zucchini, onion and cheese are bound with egg and self-raising flour and baked until golden, then cut into squares that are good warm or cold. Most families add bacon; this version leaves it out and keeps it vegetarian. Cheddar is often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian cheese if you need to. A common mistake is not squeezing the zucchini, which gives a soggy slice. Chef's tip: let it rest 10 minutes before cutting so it holds clean edges.

50 minAustralianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Hot jam doughnuts

Hot jam doughnuts have been sold from a van at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne since the 1950s, and the queue on a cold Saturday morning is part of the ritual. The small round yeast doughnuts are fried, injected with hot raspberry jam and rolled in sugar, then eaten straight from the paper bag; careful, the jam is scorching. A common mistake is frying at too high a heat, which browns the outside before the inside cooks. Chef's tip: let the shaped dough rise until it springs back slowly when poked, or the doughnuts will be heavy.

50 minAustralianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Warrigal greens

Warrigal greens grow wild along the beaches and estuaries of the New South Wales and Queensland coast and were cooked by Aboriginal people long before Captain Cook's crew ate them to fight scurvy. The thick, triangular leaves taste like a salty, more robust spinach. They hold oxalates, so they must be blanched briefly and the water thrown away before cooking. Sautéed with garlic and lemon they make a quick side for grilled fish or barramundi. A common mistake is skipping the blanch; the leaves taste bitter and are not good for you raw. Chef's tip: use tender tips only and discard woody stems.

13 minAustralianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kangaroo steak with pepperberry sauce

Kangaroo is a lean, everyday red meat in Australia, sold in supermarkets from Perth to Brisbane and loved by home cooks for its rich, slightly gamey flavour and very low fat. Here the fillets are seared hot and fast and served with a creamy sauce spiced with Tasmanian pepperberry, a native pepper with a warm, fruity heat. Because there's almost no fat, kangaroo dries out if cooked past medium. A common mistake is putting cold meat in a lukewarm pan; it stews instead of searing. Serve rare to medium-rare for best texture, but cook to at least 63 °C for pregnant women, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: rest it for as long as you cooked it.

25 minAustralianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chilli mud crab

Mud crabs are caught in the mangroves of Queensland and the Northern Territory, and in Cairns, Darwin and Brisbane the favourite way to eat them is Asian-Australian style, wok-tossed in a sticky sauce of chilli, garlic, ginger and tomato. It is messy, hands-on eating with crusty bread or rice to mop the sauce. Ask your fishmonger to clean and cut the crab into pieces for you, and cook it the same day. A common mistake is using too little sauce; the shells soak it up. Chef's tip: crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife before cooking so the sauce gets in.

45 minAustralianFishSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Frozen Christmas pudding

In the heat of an Australian December, many families swap the steamed pudding for a frozen one, ice cream packed with fruit, nuts and chocolate and set in a pudding basin so it still looks the part on the Christmas table in Brisbane or Perth. It is made days ahead and turned out just before serving. A common mistake is letting the ice cream melt too much while mixing, which makes it icy when refrozen; soften it only until stirrable. Chef's tip: soak the fruit in orange juice the night before so it stays soft when frozen.

30 minAustralianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Corn fritters

Corn fritters are a Sydney café staple, the brunch that sits on every menu from Surry Hills to Manly, stacked with smashed avocado, roast tomato or relish and a handful of herbs. The batter is mostly corn, with just enough flour and egg to bind, plus spring onion, coriander and a little chilli. They are quick enough for a weekday breakfast. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which steams them instead of crisping. Chef's tip: blitz a quarter of the corn so its milky juice binds the fritters and keeps them tender.

30 minAustralianBreakfast & Brunch
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bush tomato chutney

Bush tomato, known as akudjura or desert raisin, is the small fruit of a desert plant gathered by Aboriginal people in Central Australia and around Alice Springs; dried and ground, it tastes of caramel, tamarillo and sun-dried tomato. A spoon of it turns an ordinary tomato chutney into something rich and smoky, great with cheese, barbecues and burgers. Buy ground akudjura from a native food supplier; only the ripe dried fruit of the right species is safe to eat, so never forage it. A common mistake is adding too much; it is strong. Chef's tip: toast the ground bush tomato in the oil first to wake up its flavour.

75 minAustralianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pumpkin scones

Pumpkin scones are a Queensland country tradition, made famous by the farm-raised wife of a long-serving state premier and baked for every Country Women's Association morning tea from Toowoomba to Rockhampton. Mashed pumpkin makes them golden, soft and slightly sweet, and they are best warm from the oven with plenty of butter. A common mistake is wet pumpkin; steam or roast it and let it cool so the dough isn't sticky. Chef's tip: cut straight down without twisting the cutter, so the scones rise tall and even.

35 minAustralianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Rum balls

Rum balls are the grown-ups' Christmas sweet in Australia, rolled by the trayful in December and handed round at end-of-year parties from Sydney to Perth. They are made from chocolate cake crumbs or crushed biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa and dark rum, rolled in coconut. They contain alcohol and are for adults only; for children or anyone avoiding alcohol, use rum essence and a splash of orange juice instead. A common mistake is a mix that's too wet; chill it before rolling. Chef's tip: make them a day ahead so the flavours mellow.

30 minAustralianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tasmanian scallop pie

Tasmanian scallop pies are sold in bakeries all over the island, from Hobart's Salamanca Market to the roadhouses of the east coast, and travellers queue for them in Ross and Richmond. Whole local scallops sit in a creamy, gently curried sauce, the curry a mild old-fashioned yellow one, under flaky puff pastry. A common mistake is cooking the scallops before baking; they go in raw and cook in the oven so they stay tender. Chef's tip: pat the scallops really dry so they don't water down the sauce.

65 minAustralianFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Melting moments

Melting moments are the soft, crumbly biscuits found in Australian and New Zealand bakery jars and grandmother's tins, two rounds made with custard powder and icing sugar sandwiched with a lemon butter icing. The custard powder gives them their yellow colour and tender, short texture that melts in the mouth, hence the name. A common mistake is overbaking; they should be pale, not golden. Chef's tip: press each ball with a floured fork for the classic stripes.

40 minAustralianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Coconut ice

Coconut ice is the pink and white sweet that fills Australian school fete stalls, Christmas hampers and CWA cake tables, a no-cook fudge of desiccated coconut, condensed milk and icing sugar. It is soft, chewy and very sweet, so cut small squares. A common mistake is a mixture that's too wet to hold; add more coconut until it's firm enough to press. Chef's tip: press the white layer first, then the pink, and chill before cutting for sharp stripes.

20 minAustralianDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Finger buns

Finger buns are the classic Australian school canteen and tuckshop bun, sold in every suburban bakery and supermarket from Perth to Brisbane: soft, slightly sweet long rolls, sometimes with sultanas, topped with bright pink icing and a scatter of desiccated coconut. Kids eat them split and buttered. A common mistake is icing them warm, which makes it run off; let them cool completely. Chef's tip: brush them with a sugar glaze straight from the oven for a soft, shiny crust under the icing.

45 minAustralianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

White Christmas

White Christmas is an Australian Christmas tradition from the days when a hot December made baking a misery, a no-bake slice of puffed rice, dried fruit, glacé cherries and coconut set in white chocolate or coconut fat. It is cut into squares and kept in the fridge for drop-in visitors through the holidays. A common mistake is overheating the white chocolate, which seizes; melt it gently. Chef's tip: red and green glacé cherries make it look festive.

20 minAustralianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Passionfruit sponge

The passionfruit sponge is the star of the Australian country show cake table and every Sunday afternoon tea, made from the vines that cover back fences from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast. Two airy, fatless sponges are filled with whipped cream and topped with a tangy passionfruit icing. A common mistake is knocking the air out when folding in the flour; use a light hand and a big metal spoon. Chef's tip: beat the eggs and sugar for a full 8–10 minutes until thick enough to hold a trail.

55 minAustralianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pie floater

The pie floater is Adelaide's late-night street food, sold from pie carts outside the railway station and on North Terrace since the 1870s: a beef mince pie turned upside down in a bowl of thick, green split-pea soup and topped with a swirl of tomato sauce. It sounds odd and tastes wonderful on a cold night. This recipe makes both the soup and the pies; you could use good bakery pies to save time. A common mistake is a thin soup; it should be thick enough to hold the pie up. Chef's tip: make the pea soup the day before, it thickens overnight.

160 minAustralianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Golden syrup dumplings

Golden syrup dumplings are a winter pudding from Australian country kitchens, made during the Depression and still cooked by grandmothers in the Riverina and the Victorian high country when the nights turn cold. Soft scone-dough balls simmer in a sauce of golden syrup, butter and brown sugar until they swell and turn sticky. Serve with vanilla ice cream or custard. A common mistake is a pan that's too small; the dumplings double in size and need space. Chef's tip: keep the lid on and resist peeking, so the tops steam light and fluffy.

35 minAustralianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Davidson plum jam

Davidson plums grow on slender trees in the subtropical rainforests of northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland, ripening dark purple in summer. They are far too sour to eat raw but make a stunning deep-crimson jam with a sharp, tangy flavour, sold at farmers' markets around Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast. Spread it on scones or serve with cheese. A common mistake is boiling it past the set; the plums are high in pectin and set fast. Chef's tip: if you can't find Davidson plums, use dark sour plums and add a squeeze of lemon.

45 minAustralianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aussie salad sandwich

The salad sandwich is the backbone of the Australian lunchbox and the school tuckshop order: soft bread built up with tinned beetroot, grated carrot, tasty cheese, tomato and crisp lettuce, cut into triangles and wrapped in paper. Beetroot is what makes it unmistakably Aussie. The common mistake is laying wet beetroot and tomato straight on bare bread, so by lunchtime it is pink and soggy. Many Cheddar-style "tasty" cheeses use animal rennet; choose one labelled vegetarian. Chef's tip: butter both slices to the edge and put the cheese and lettuce next to the bread, with the wet fillings sealed in the middle.

10 minAustralianSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Curried egg sandwich

A school canteen and church-fete favourite across Australia, the curried egg sandwich is soft white or wholemeal bread filled with hard-boiled egg mashed with mayonnaise and a little mild curry powder, often with lettuce or cress. It goes into lunch boxes cut into fingers. The common mistake is mashing the eggs while warm, which turns the mayonnaise oily and the filling runny; let them cool completely. Chef's tip: warm the curry powder in a dry pan for 20 seconds first, and the raw, dusty taste turns sweet and toasty.

20 minAustralianSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Curried sausages

Curried sausages are pure Australian weeknight comfort, the dish generations of kids came home to in Sydney, Brisbane and country towns alike, usually made with thick beef or pork sausages and a tin of mild curry powder. The sausages are browned, sliced and simmered with onion, carrot, potato and peas in a gentle, slightly sweet curry gravy, then spooned over fluffy rice. The usual mistake is skipping the pre-cook: browning the sausages whole first keeps them juicy and gives the sauce its colour. Sausages, whether beef or pork, must reach 71 °C in the centre. Chef's tip: a grated apple simmered in the sauce is the classic Aussie trick for a rounded sweetness without extra sugar.

50 minAustralianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Potato scallops

Order a potato scallop in a Sydney or Newcastle fish-and-chip shop and you get a thick slice of potato in crisp batter; cross the border into Victoria and the very same thing is a potato cake, a friendly argument Australians never settle. They are eaten hot from the paper at the beach, sprinkled with chicken salt or plain salt and vinegar. This batter is made with flour, cornflour and fizzy water, so they are vegan. A common mistake is cutting the potato thin; at 1 cm it stays fluffy inside while the batter crisps. Chef's tip: par-boil the slices for 4 minutes so the middles are tender by the time the batter is golden.

35 minAustralianSnacks & StartersVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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