** AUSSIE FOOD **

SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Ingredients you will need:

1 and 1/2 tbsp crushed garlic
1 onion finely diced
1/2 leek finely sliced
1/2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1.25L water boiling
3/4 cup of Margaret River wine
2 tbspn powdered chicken stock
1 tspn cummin ground
1 tspn coriander ground
2 tspn curry powder
1 tspn tumeric
3 potatoes peeled and cubed
50g butter
3 tbspn plain flour
3 cups of milk
300ml cream
200g mussels de-bearded
250g fish fillets--any white fleshed fish like snapper, dhufish
200g cuttlefish or squid
prawns and scallops optional extras
salt and pepper to taste

Fry onion, garlic, leek and zucchini in small amount of oil, add wine and simmer uncovered for five minutes. Add water, chicken stock and potatoes and boil until potatoes are just soft, then reduce to a low heat in a heavy-based saucepan melt butter, stir in flour and cook for a couple of minutes (this is called roux). Whisk in the milk which you have at simmer temperature and continue to stir until mixture thickens. Simmer for five minutes. Add the thickened white sauce to the pot and stir.  Place remaining spices in a cup with a 1/2 cup of boiling water, stir then mix through the chowder. Add seafood and gently poach in chowder until just cooked. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and/or sliced spring onion, chives or dill. Serve with crusty bread or croutons.

 SHEPARD'S PIE
 

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch each dried thyme and savory
salt and pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 medium carrots, diced small
4 large potatoes
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

In large frying pan, cook the ground beef lightly, stirring 
with fork to break it up.  Drain any excess fat.  Add onion 
and garlic, cook until softened.  Stir in thyme, savory and a
pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir in flour.  Add stock, Worcestershire 
sauce and carrots.  Simmer partially covered for about 20 
minutes, stirring often, until it becomes quite thick and the 
carrots are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
 

Spread meat mixture into a 10-cup baking dish and let cool slightly. 
boil potatoes in salted water until tender drain and mash.  
Beat in milk. Reserve half of egg for brushing on top beat 
rest of egg into potatoes. Spread potato mixture carefully over 
meat mixture (much easier if you start from the edges). 

Brush with the remaining egg.  Bake in 400 F oven for approx. 
15 minutes or until bubbling hot and topping is golden.  

This is my version, using leftover roast lamb; if you use beef, it's cottage pie.

3 medium onions, peeled
3 medium carrots, peeled
4 sticks celery
30 g butter
500 g leftover cooked lamb
125 ml Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 sprig thyme
1 bayleaf
3-4 tbsp veal jus (optional)
125 ml water
1 kg mashed potato

Finely mince the onions, carrots and celery. (If you don't have a mincer, dice as finely as possible.) Heat the butter in a large saucepan and gently fry the minced vegetables for about 10 minutes, without allowing them to darken much.

Pass the lamb through the same mincer (or dice finely) and add to the pan. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the potato and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce slightly. The mince should be wet, but not runny.

Spread evenly over the base of a large casserole dish, spoon the mash on top and run a fork over to leave a ridged pattern. Brush with butter if you like. Bake at 200°C for 20-30 minutes or until lightly coloured.

(Matthew Evans, Good Weekend, May 2000)

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