Australia’s got ‘game’ in the kitchen
You wouldn't have found wallaby on too many menus 10 years ago. Or alpaca, for that matter.
Then again, if you went back a further 10 years, you wouldn't have found many places selling kangaroo or emu, either.
Paul Kuipers, owner and chef at Courtney's Brasserie in Parramatta in Sydney's west, said more game meats have become viable options for restaurants in NSW, as diners become ever more adventurous.
"If you tried cooking alpaca or wallaby 10 years ago, you would have struggled – but now people are willing to have a go at new things," Mr Kuipers said.
Courtney's Brasserie has been in business since 1984, and with a focus on constant menu changes depending on what fresh produce is available, Mr Kuipers has cooked plenty of different game meats.
Wild boar, hare and venison have all been popular throughout the years, while a pheasant pie he created has sold well in recent months.
For a long time dishes with game meat have been popular over at the Green Herring restaurant in Canberra.
"Game sells very well," chef Michelle Hill said.
"We have regular customers who will come in and ask specifically for the venison."
Emu, kangaroo and rabbit are other items doing well on the menu at the moment.
Ms Hill said most game meats required careful cooking due to their lack of fat.
"Generally they have to be cooked rare, otherwise they become tough," she said.
An entirely different style of cooking goes on at the Australian Hotel at The Rocks in Sydney.
The famous coat of arms pizza, with both kangaroo and emu, has been a popular menu item for years.
There are also separate menu items featuring each of the meats on their own.
A spokeswoman for the hotel said the pizzas were a winner with international tourists and locals alike.
"While there has always been a market for game meat, it seems to be coming more evident in food blogs and food magazines," she said.
"People want to get out there and try new things.
"We often have TV personalities, film crews and international food bloggers come in to eat and review."
The Australian Hotel also prides itself on being able to pair its food with the perfect beer, and the spokeswoman recommended Little Creatures Pale Ale with the emu pizza and Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale with the pepper kangaroo.
From the supply end of the chain, kangaroo and venison are still the biggest selling game meats, said Peter Gowland, owner of Priam Meats.
While venison's popularity has slipped somewhat since the 1980s, it remains well regarded, and is Mr Gowland's personal favourite game meat.
Rabbit and crocodile are two meats that have been growing in popularity recently, he said.
Game birds are some of Mr Gowland's most steady sellers, with partridge in particular growing in popularity.
Source: The Land, 6 October 2013
