From: arielle@NeoSoft.com (Stephanie da Silva)
Subject: RECIPE: Australian cuisine
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1992 00:40:55 GMT

Here is an appetizer, main dish and dessert for whoever it was who requested
it.  I picked the appetizer because it has a lot of ingredients commonly
found in Australia (at least in the parts I visited) like prawns, mangos
and capsicums.  The main course and dessert are pretty obvious.  Note that
for a main course, a plain roast (whether it be fowl, beef, pork or lamb)
would be entirely appropriate, as the Oz seem to have a thing for plain
roasted meats (at least from what I have seen).  So if you want something
easy, just make a roast for a main course.


Prawn Salad

1 kg (2 lb) medium king prawns, peeled with tails attached  (It doesn't
  say, but I assume the prawns are supposed to be already cooked)
lemon dressing
1 red banana capsicum (or 1/2 red capsicum) (a capsicum is a pepper)
1 midium sized carrot
2 sticks celery (choose tender sticks from near the centre)
1 tub alfalfa  (looks like alfalfa sprouts in the picture)
baby lettuce leaves, washed and crisped
2 firm ripe avocados
1 large mango or 1/2 pawpaw (papaya), peeled and cut into thick slices
Parsley, chopped

Place the peeled prawns in a bowl and pour over the lemon dressing.  Cover 
and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cut the capsicum, carrot and celery into fine shreds, then place into a
bowl of iced water.  Before serving, drain the vegetables and the prawns
(but reserve dressing).  Peel and slice the avocado and arrange with the
fruit, crispy vegetables and lettuce on a large platter or individual
plates.  Drizzle over the lemon dressing and sprinkle with parsley.
Accompany with wholegrain bread.

Lemon Dressing

1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon mixed French or German mustard
3 tablespoons oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove a couple of paper then strips of lemon peel with a potato peeler
or sharp knife.  Cut into fine strips.  Crush the garlic and put into a
bowl, stir in the mustar, then add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the oil.  
Add a pinch of salt and pepper, mix well, and add the lemon peel.


Australian Meat Pie

1 oz kidney (optional)
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 bacon rashers, chopped
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1.5-2 kg. (3-4 lb) chuck steak, trimmed and chopped into small cubes
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 level teaspoon salt
few sprigs of fresh thyme or
1/2 level teaspoon dried thyme
1 stick celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 recipe shortcrust pastry

Soak the kidney in a little water with lemon juice for 1/2 hour to
remove any strong flavour.  Fry chopped bacon in a large heavy based 
saucepan, and when the fat starts to sizzle, add the onion.  Fry over 
a low heat until the onion is soft.  Add the chopped steak and finely
chopped kidney.  Pour in water and season with salt, pepper and thyme.
Cover and simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. 
Smooth out the flour with a little extra cold water, then stir this
into the meat.  Stire over the heat until thick.  Pour into a deep pie
dish of 2 litre (8 cups) capacity.  If you own a pie funnel, place in 
the centre of the meat (you could substitute an upturned egg cup).  Roll 
out the pastry, cut a few strips for a collar.  Place these on the wet 
rim of the pie dish and brush with milk or beaten egg.  Lift remaining
pastry onto a rolling pin and place on top of the pie.  Trim edges
with a knife.  Press edges together with a fork to seal.  Make a few
steam holes.  Glaze with beaten egg or milk and bake in a hot oven for
30-40 minutes.

Shortcrust pastry

3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
pinch of salt
100g (3 1/2 oz) butter
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place flours and salt into a mixing bowl, rub in butter with fingertips
and mix into a dough with water and lemon juice.  Turn out onto a lightly
floured surface and knead lightly with a little flour.  Rest for 20
minute before rolling.


Pavlova

4 egg whites (should be as fresh as possible)
good pinch of salt
1 heaped cup castor sugar (superfine sugar)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 level tablespoon cornflour -- wheaten cornflour for preference
   (don't know what wheaten cornflour is -- cornflour is cornstarch)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
300 ml (10 fluid oz) thickened cream, whipped
4 bananas
3 passionfruit
1 punnet (??) strawberries

Preheat oven to hot.  Cover a greased flat baking tray with gladbake (??)
or a split open oven bag.  Grease well with butter, sprinkle with
cornflour and tap off excess (the cornflour gives a nice dry surface 
under the pavlova.

Using a 18 cm (7 inch) cake tin as a guide, mark out a circle on the 
tray with a skewer.

Beat egg whites and salt until stiff.  Add sugar 1 heaped tablespoon 
at a time until all sugar has been added.  When finished, the meringue
should be thick and shiny.  Stir in vinegar, cornflour and vanilla,
stir gently then pile onto prepared tray.  The mixture should stay 
roughly in the marked circle, simply smooth over the top (It is important
not to make the mistake of scooping out the centre).  The mixture should
be about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) high for a good marshmallow centre.  Drop
oven temperature to very slow before placing the pavlova in the oven.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours.  Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes,
then turn upside down onto a flat serving plate.  Remove paper or 
ovenwrap carefully.  The centre will sink slightly as the pavlova cools.
When cold, fill with whipped cream and top with sliced bananas, passion
fruit pulp and whole strawberries (but don't fill until right before
you serve).

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