Recipe
* (as showcased on the SBS website)
Baked Emu and Crushed Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 1 kg of Emu neck
- Half a pumpkin
- 1-2 ltr chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ – 1 cup red wine, or port
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 onion
- Flour, Salt and Pepper to taste
- Small quantity of fat or oil to fry
- Recommended seasoning: Garam Masala; Golden Syrup
Cut the pumpkin into roasting sized portions, removing the pumpkin skin and layer these into the base of an enamel roasting pan, one with a lid suitable for the fire oven.
Mix flour, salt and pepper together to coat the emu neck joints generously.
Heat a small quantity of oil or fat in a frying pan, amount dependent on amount of flour used. We are looking to consequently form a gravy rue from the remaining seasoned flour and fat.
Brown the emu joints, turning them till the coating flour is browned satisfactorily. Setting them aside when browned, on top of the cut pumpkin bed.
Slice or chop your onion into pleasing sized pieces and in the fat and residual flour in your frying pan, fry off your onion and sliced garlic cloves.
Add any remaining seasoned flour, that used to flour and season your emu joints and brown this in the oil or fat, adding more oil if required to form a rue as with a gravy base.
Once a satisfactory colour is achieved, make your gravy by adding the vegetable stock and red wine or port to flavour. You may also add parisian essence to achieve the desired browning if you feel the colour is too light.
Taste your gravy, and flavour as desired. A flavouring with Garam Masala and a tablespoon of golden syrup/brown sugar or molasses can also enhance the dish.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Pour your gravy over the neck joints and place the dish into the fire oven, lid on. A moderate to slow oven is desired and place the dish away from any flame.
As this is a slow cooking dish and emu a meat that requires a moist cooking environment, it is best if you check the dish each hour, turning the joints into the gravy to prevent burning or drying out. I cook this dish for 3 hrs or more, in a cooling oven.
Serve with winter vegetables or warm salad and crusty bread. Delicious!!!
The Pumpkin will break down somewhat during the slow cooking process and help to flavour and create the delicious gravy around your emu joint. Many guests who normally do not enjoy the unique flavour of pumpkin, comment on how when served in this manner they find it not only palatable but delightful.
The meat should fall easily away from the bone and this is a dish where we encourage sucking on the remnant bone joints and lots of licking of fingers, best served with a nice red wine.
