What happens when two Masterchef graduates travel the Australian coastline in a vintage Volkswagen beetle?
If you’re Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn, you document your adventures for Surfing the Menu – Next Generation, a cookbook and cooking show on the ABC network.
As well as allowing the self-proclaimed “surfer dudes” to catch a wave in the name of work, the latest adventure by the Sydney-born boys gave them the opportunity to discover and cook with some of Australia’s freshest produce.
And with native Australian bush tucker currently making a name for itself in food, Hayden and Dan had plenty to share.
“We were fortunate to enjoy kangaroo tail the Indigenous way, cooked over coals,” says Dan. “I have tasted roo tail before and I loved the simplicity of this particular method. The texture of the flesh and the way it absorbed the smoke created such a distinctive sensory experience. And to think the Indigenous people from around here have been doing this for thousands of years!”
“We ate lots of food that was buried in the coals on the journey: damper, barramundi, corned beef,” adds Hayden. “Really simple stuff, cooked straight up with nothing added to it. All the flavour came from the smoke and the fire and the leaves the food was wrapped in.”
These traditional cooking techniques inspired this recipe for Butterflied Saltbush Chook with Charred Veg, which uses the native herb to season the chook.
Butterflied Saltbush Chook with Charred Veg
The boys also spent time an outback cattle station, mastering the skill of mustering.
“Life on a station is far from what I’m used to on the Northern beaches of Sydney, where everything is at your disposal,” says Dan. “But this station [Wooramel] did have plenty of pasture, livestock, sheds and yards.”
“Because the shooting days were also very long, I often put on a spread for the [crew],” he adds.
And with many hungry mouths to feed, hearty, tasty meals like the Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Mash were among the most popular creations.
Tune into Surfing the Menu – Next Generation or grab a copy of the book by the same name to follow the cooking adventures of Dan and Hayden.
Inspired to try Australian bush tucker and techniques, or have you tried the trend already?
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