Native Noshing - GreenPan Guide To Cooking With Australian Native Ingredients

Meat pies, lamingtons, Vegemite sandwiches and Timtams. They’re all delicious, but surely a country as blessed with natural resources and human capital as ours can do better than this when it comes to the national cuisine?

Sometimes, we Aussies don't know how good we have it. Our wide, brown land provides us with some of the most extraordinary ingredients on the planet, yet most of us have little to no idea that many of them exist, let alone how to use them to create spectacular delicacies. Many of these incredible ingredients have been feeding this country's inhabitants for tens of thousands of years, but remain an impermeable mystery to the average punter.

Celebrity chefs like the late, great Jock Zonfrillo have certainly worked to change this status quo and carved out niches using Australia's native ingredients to the fullest. While these efforts may have moved the needle somewhat, there’s still a long way to go until vernacular ingredients truly occupy the mainstream.

The thing about native Australian ingredients is they're not just gimmicky bush tucker experiences designed to be eclectic, fringe gastronomic experiences. Finger limes actually taste superb. Wattle seeds genuinely taste like coffee and nuts met, fell in love and had a love child. Kangaroo meat is leaner than beef and has just the right amount of “gamey” to be delicious without overwhelming the palate. Lemon myrtle makes everything it touches taste brighter. Each of these is a shining light of flavour in its own right that just happens to be Australian.

So we're going to walk through five proper dishes that use native Australian stuff in ways that actually excite you. Not complicated. Not precious. Just good food made with ingredients that are connected with our own expanse of earth.

Actually Finding This Stuff

First thing, let's be real about where you get native ingredients. One of the primary issues with local inputs is access: they’re not exactly front and centre on our supermarket shelves. However, they're not as impossible to find as you might think. Farmers' markets increasingly have them. Specialty food shops stock them. You can order them online and have them at your door the next day. You might not be able to simply pop down to the shops to grab a bag of finger limes and a few yabbies. However, with a bit of legwork and a sprinkling of tenacity, you can get your hands on them pretty much wherever you live. In some cases, you may even find some of them growing in your backyard!

Now that we’ve got the accessibility issue kind of sorted, it’s time to jump in and get cooking some truly dinky-di, ridgey-didge, uniquely Australian cuisine.

Kangaroo Steak with Wattle Seed Crust and Finger Lime Salsa

This dish genuinely transforms how people perceive meat. Kangaroo flesh is lean, sustainable, and has a singular taste unlike any meat you’ve eaten. If you’ve ever tried venison, that’s probably the closest benchmark. However, it has slightly less of that pungent gaminess, and a complex flavour all of its own. Wattle seeds provide the textural counterpoint that people love, with an elegant, earthy twist.

Getting the Wattle Seed Crust Right

• Toast two tablespoons of wattle seeds in a dry pan. They'll darken and smell absolutely brilliant. You want them well toasted, but be careful not to burn them, as this imparts an unpleasant aroma.
• Crush the toasted seeds up with a mortar and pestle so they're still chunky, not powder.
• Mix with sea salt and cracked pepper. Native pepper's good if you can get it. If not, regular pepper works just fine.
• Brush your kangaroo steaks with oil and press this seed mixture onto both sides. Let it sit for a bit so it sticks well.

Cooking the Meat

• Get your pan hot. Really hot.
• Sear the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side if you want medium rare, or 4 minutes if you prefer it well done. Kangaroo's lean, so if you cook it too long, it gets tough and disappointing. Rest the cooked meat for five minutes before cutting and serving.

The Finger Lime Salsa

If you’ve never tried finger lime, you’re missing out. These little, elongated citrus fruits burst with tiny juice pearls inside.

• Slice the limes lengthwise and scoop out the pearls.
• Mix them with finely chopped red onion, coriander, a pinch of chilli and sea salt.

That's all there is to it! The pearls burst when you eat them, releasing a citrusy juice that's honestly addictive.

Slather the salsa on top of the steak. Serve with some lightly sauteed greens or smashed potatoes for a perfectly gorgeous meal. The combination of rich kangaroo, nutty wattle seed and vibrant finger lime is a culinary match made in the Southern Hemisphere of heaven.

Lemon Myrtle Barramundi with Macadamia Crust

Barramundi is undoubtedly one of the best-known and most loved ingredients in our lineup. Most Australians have tried it and know how mouthwateringly delicious it is. However, add lemon myrtle and macadamia nuts, and suddenly you've got a dish that takes things to an entirely new level.

This dish is so elegant and sophisticated that your friends and family will think you spent ages on it. The good news is that, when done correctly, you can whip up this incredible dish in just fifteen minutes, flat.

Lemon myrtle tastes like citrus, but it's more subtle than lemon, with herby undertones. Macadamia nuts are buttery and rich. They're, without question, the perfect accompaniment to fish.

Making the Crust

• Chop 150g of macadamia nuts and pulse with lemon myrtle leaves, salt, and pepper until it's chunky but holds together. Don't overprocess it or you'll end up with paste instead of a crunchy, rubbly texture that complements the soft flesh.

Cooking the Fish

• Pat your barramundi fillets dry. This is crucial because you want the crust to actually stick.
• Brush the flesh side with extra virgin olive oil, then press the macadamia mix onto that same side.
• Heat some oil in a pan and cook, skin-side down, for about 5 minutes on low-medium heat until the skin is crispy.
• Flip and cook the macadamia side for another three or four minutes. The macadamia goes golden and crunchy while the fish finishes cooking.

Serve straight away. Try some native pepper berries on the side or a simple salad. The crispy macadamia, flaky fish, and subtle lemon myrtle undertones combine for a truly outstanding result.

Kakadu Plum and Finger Lime Pavlova

This one's a bit fancy but honestly not difficult. Kakadu plums are absolutely packed with vitamin C and have a tart, interesting taste. Mixed with finger limes on a pavlova, they create a remarkable, sharp layer over crispy marshmallow.

The Pavlova

• Whip four egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
• Add 200g of sugar gradually while whisking until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy.
• Fold through vanilla and a mix of cornstarch with white vinegar. This helps stabilise it.
• Spread onto a lined tray in a rough circle with a slight dip in the middle.
• Bake at 120°C for 90 minutes, until crispy on the outside but still marshmallowy inside. Let it cool completely.

The Fruit Bit

• Cook about 300g of kakadu plums with 50g of sugar and a splash of water on medium heat until jammy. This should take about ten minutes. The plums just break down naturally.
• Top the pavlova with cream, kakadu plum compote, then scatter fresh finger lime pearls and extra plums on top.

Why This Actually Works

The tart plum, paired with sweet meringue and rich cream, is a genuine taste sensation. Finger lime pearls add a citrus pop. The finished product looks like you spent hours on it, but it typically takes 20 minutes from start to finish.

Yabbie and Lemon Myrtle Risotto

Yabbies are freshwater crustaceans that taste somewhere between prawns and crayfish. They're delicate and sweet. With lemon myrtle risotto, you get something that feels special but isn't precious about it.

The Risotto Base

• Heat a litre of stock and keep it simmering.
• In a separate pan, sauté a diced onion in butter until soft.
• Add 300g of arborio rice and stir for a minute until it’s well coated.
• Start adding the stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Each ladle-full should be absorbed before you add the next. This takes about eighteen minutes. You'll know it's done when the rice is creamy but grains are still slightly firm.

Adding Flavour

• About halfway through, add a teaspoon of fresh or dried lemon myrtle, depending on your preference and availability. Let the herb infuse through everything.
• Finish with parmesan and butter because that's what makes risotto actually creamy.

The Yabbies

• Pan-fry cleaned yabbies in butter with a tiny bit of garlic and lemon myrtle for a maximum of 4 minutes. Overcook them and they get rubbery and sad.
• Extract the flesh from the shell and slice or roughly chop. Gently fold it into the risotto right at the end of cooking.
• Serve immediately with extra lemon myrtle scattered on top.

The Combo Thing

Delicate yabbie flavour matches the subtle lemon myrtle. Creamy risotto holds everything together. It's elegant without being fussy. You’re going to love it.

Emu Steak with Native Pepper Berry Sauce and Wattle Seed Polenta

Emu meat is dark, lean, and tasty. It's been eaten here forever, and it's genuinely mouthwatering when you don't mess it up. Native pepper berry sauce adds heat and complexity. Wattle seed polenta ties this ensemble all together.

The Polenta

• Bring 500ml of stock to the boil with butter. Reduce the heat to a rolling simmer.
• Whisk in 100g of polenta in a steady stream, stirring constantly.
• Continue stirring every minute for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. It'll go from liquid to thick and creamy.
• Toast the wattle seeds and crush them. Fold through the polenta with parmesan and salt. Keep it warm.

The Emu

• Pat your emu steaks dry.
• They're lean like kangaroo, so don't overcook them. Sear in a hot pan for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare.
• Rest the meat for five minutes before serving.

The Sauce

• Crush the native pepper berries slightly, then add them to a pan with beef stock, butter, and a splash of red wine, if you've got it.
• Let it simmer for a couple of minutes so the pepper berries release their flavour.
• Taste and adjust as required

Native pepper berries have a distinctively warm peppery bite that sets them apart from regular peppers. This local twist on the common seasoning adds delightfully different complexity without being harsh.

Plate the emu on wattle seed polenta with the sauce on top. Some wilted greens on the side will add colour and nutrition, while ensuring the emu remains the hero.

Bush Tomato and Macadamia Nut Butter Pasta

Sometimes you want something simple. This pasta is packed with native flavour but comes together in twenty minutes. It's the kind of thing you make on a random Tuesday, and spontaneously morphs it into a special occasion.

Bush tomatoes are tiny dried tomatoes that taste incredibly concentrated. A little goes a long way.

Making the Sauce

• Soak a handful of bush tomatoes in warm water for 10 minutes, or until soft.
• Drain and chop.
• Toast 100g of macadamia nuts until golden.
• Chop them so they're still chunky.
• Add to a food processor with the bush tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, and enough extra virgin olive oil to make a loose paste.
• Blend until it's chunky, not smooth.

Putting It Together

• Cook 400g of pasta.
• Before draining, save a cup of pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
• Add the macadamia bush tomato sauce and toss well, adding pasta water a splash at a time until it coats everything.
• Season to taste with a crack of black pepper and lemon myrtle, or native thyme, if you have any.

Why This Works

Bush tomato flavour is concentrated, so you don't need copious amounts of sauce. This is definitely a case of less is more. Macadamia adds richness and texture. It's bold without being heavy. One bite and people know this isn't regular pasta.

Getting Comfortable with Native Ingredients

Cooking with native Australian stuff isn't complicated. It's just different. Flavours are often brighter, sometimes more subtle. Some ingredients are intense and need to be respected. Others are understated and are better off used with other gentle flavours.

If working with so many unfamiliar ingredients feels intimidating, start simple. Use one native ingredient per dish. Get comfortable with how it behaves. Then start combining them.

Native Australian ingredients are often more sustainable than imported or mass-produced items. On the health score, kangaroo is better for the environment than beef, while native fruits don't require the same amount of water and resources as introduced fruits. Using this stuff isn't just about flavour. It's about selecting food systems that genuinely suit our local needs.

Making It All Actually Taste Good

There is something rapturously satisfying about incorporating native ingredients into your repertoire. These items have been part of our natural landscape for millennia, and they deserve to be respected and utilised thoughtfully to create distinctive local flavours.

The steak needs proper heat and resting. The fish needs a crispy skin. The pavlova needs the correct technique. None of this is complicated. However, as with our natural environment, a bit of care and a gentle touch matter.

Cook by taste. Adjust as you go. Taste things separately and together. This is how you figure out what works.

Getting Started

We’re sure you’ll love the recipes we’ve included above. If you’re stuck for a starting point, just pick whichever sounds good to you and use that as your starting point. Love steak? Do the kangaroo with wattle seed. More into seafood? Try the yabbie risotto or the barramundi. Want something different? Bush tomato pasta is a great option.

The joy of discovery lies in exploring what's available to cook with locally. Once you start looking for native ingredients, you'll find them everywhere: markets, online, specialty shops, and farmers selling direct. Your cooking becomes more local, more connected to the land on which we live..

Your dinner's going to taste genuinely different and genuinely Australian. Now, that's worth cooking.