What business would a kangaroo and an Italian mushroom have being together? Is it some new kids animated show, Australis and Spore, or is it just tonight's tea?
Porcini mushrooms are top of the tree as far as edible fungus goes. Well, at least they hang out their with a few others like truffles, both black and the mysterious white shiitake and, if you can find them this dry autumn, slippery jacks.
They all offer that umami-rich, yeasty, earthy flavour to foods. Once you are hooked on this delicious enhancer of food, you'll do anything to find it.
Way before you could purchase dried porcini in the supermarket they were almost impossible to find. Continental delicatessens might have had them secreted away with their mysterious jars, cheese and meats but they were a weird, confronting place for a 20-year-old on a food journey. The first time I found a small packet of what looked like dehydrated bark, I religiously soaked them, rinsed and filtered the water and made a risotto.
That first taste was astounding: Vegemitey, concentrated, very rich. On their own, dried porcini are a bit too much but in the right dish they shine. I don't even soak them now, just bung them in the stew. Kangaroo is an interesting meat. I'm sure if they ran wild and free in France or Italy, they wouldn't be on the flag or needing culling every wet season, they'd be a delicacy and in the pot.
As a true game meat, kangaroo's flavour is unsurpassed but still we shy away from it being a staple. Most supermarkets have them now, packaged like they are normal meats like kebabs, burgers and steaks. All good, get into them but they leave out the best part, the tail.
No doubt it ends up in pet food, which, you have to admit, is a section that is looking pretty good these days. It says a lot about a society where there are people going without food but our dogs can choose from food that looks pretty well the same as people food. There's a vague line between pet mince and sausage mince if you know what I mean?
However, kangaroo and dried porcinis do go together. If you shy away from kangaroo, which you should do if you come across one on the full moon or as I did, in the vineyard - big brute, he was - ox tail will be fine, not quite as rich or lean or as good, but a pretty neat dish. You should always soak these gelatinous cuts in a salt solution. They suck up the sauce, retain their texture and taste so much better with a few days in a brine. Standard brine is 80 grams of salt in one litre of water. You can always add spice and herbs and stuff but straight salt works just fine, save the flavourings for the stock. This is a play on a well known Italian mushroom sauce for pasta, before cream took over, Boscaiola was a more meaty affair. Use a good quality penne rigate, you need the ribbing to help soak up this rich sauce. Drink it with a rustic Italian - person or wine, your choice.
Penne rigate with kangaroo tail & porcini "boscaiola"
1 kangaroo tail (you can use ox tail too)
80g salt
1kg beef chuck bones
1 onion, peeled
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
½ cup red wine
1 tin peeled Italian tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
2 parsley stems
100g pancetta, in one piece
30g dried porcini mushrooms
500g pack penne rigate
chopped parsley to serve
Chop the tail at each joint. Dissolve salt in 1 litre of water, soak the tail in this for a week. Meanwhile, seeing as you have a week spare, make the stock. Roll the beef bones in oil and roast in a hot oven for an hour or so until they are well toasted. Chop the onion, carrots and celery and sauté in a little oil until they are soft and starting to caramelise.
Deglaze with wine and cook down to the reduced state. Add the roasted bones, tomatoes and purée, spice and herbs. Cover with water and cook on a gentle simmer for 5 hours. Strain, chill and remove the set fat. Remove the tails from the brine, rinse a few times in water.
Heat a little oil and fry the tail sections lightly all over, add the stock, pancetta and dried mushrooms, make sure they are covered with liquid. Cook, covered, in an oven set at 80C for eight hours.
The meat should slip off the bones easily. Strain the cooking juice retrieving the mushrooms and separating all the cooked meat. Discard bones and bacon, reduce the stock down to about 300ml. Shred and return the kangaroo meat and mushrooms to the stock, season. This should be thick and brooding.
Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 2 tbsp salt and cook pasta on a rapid boil for the suggested time. Drain and toss through kangaroo sauce, sprinkle with parsley to serve.
