As part of the Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival, the Revel Recipe Series is bringing the best of the region's restaurants to your kitchen. Up first in the series is the Kangaroo Tonnato by Jason Saxby, Executive Chef at Raes on Wategos.

A hybrid of two classic dishes – Vitello Tonnato and tartare – both favourites of Saxby, it represents is Italian-inspired cooking style, that still stays true to a local focus. Through combining a love of Italian flavours alongside a drive to be more conscious and sustainable, the dish is lighter and fresher than the original, while retaining the characteristic flavours integral to the dish. It is simple, delicious and ideal for a meal that is craving fresh, airy flavours.

Bring the Kangaroo Tonnato from Raes on Wategos to your kitchen with the recipe below. Before you commence cooking, here are the assorted ingredients you will need to cook up the feast:

Tonnato Dressing

3 Egg yolks

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

250 ml Pure Olive Oil (if you confit your own tuna, that oil makes a great mayonnaise and also means your giving a second life to the oil)

15 g Anchovies

15 g Capers in vinegar, strained

2tsp Vinegar

½ Lemon, juiced salt and pepper

250 g Preserved tuna

Note: We confit our own from trimmings that are left from our tuna crudo entrée. But tinned tuna in olive oil will work aswell. (Please use the best brand you can afford. It definitely makes a difference to this recipe and the environement.) keep the oil for the piadina

 

Raw Kangaroo Mix

300g Raw Kangaroo Loin

2 tbls Good quality salted capers.

1 tbls Chopped chives

1 tbls Finger lime pearls

30 ml Smoked olive oil

30 ml Macadamia oil

1 tsp Microplaned horseradish salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes:

Pickled Onions

2 baby onions or eschalots

50 ml good quality sweet vinegar. We use a local pandanus vinegar but a good aged white wine vinegar will do.

Radishes

2 bunches of mixed radishes. Look for red, purple and white. Also look for different sizes to give contrast to the final plating

1 bunch radish flowers

Garrum glazed Piadina

250 g all-purpose flour 4 g salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

45 g lard or bone marrow. Raes use kangaroo and beef marrow and roast beef lard combined 120g milk (room temperature)

 

To glaze

2 sprig each of rosemary, thyme, sage 30 ml garrum

1 garlic clove squashed oil left from tuna confit

And now, allow us to proceed to the method to bring it all together.

Tonnato Dressing

• Make a simple mayonnaise using the egg yolks, mustard and pure olive Keep aside
• In a blender add the tuna, capers, anchovies and vinegar and blend to form a paste
• Add the mayonnaise and blend until smooth. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper. - Chill quickly.
• Place in a small container to store in the fridge until serving

Raw Kangaroo Mix

• Wrap Kangaroo loin in cling film and place in freezer for an hour to firm This will make it a lot easier to cut.
• When semi frozen, remove from freezer and cut into a 5 mm dice using a very sharp Using a blunt knife or cutting the meat messy will alter the texture of the meat, which alters the success of the end result. Also remember to wear gloves and use a clean chopping board when handling meat you are serving raw.
• Put kangaroo into a small mixing
• Cover and place in fridge to let the meat defrost
• Meanwhile prepare the garnishes
• Only when you are ready to serve, dress the kangaroo with the other ingredients and season to taste.

Pickled Onions

• Thinly slice onions
• Place onions in a bowl and dress with Let sit for at least 5 minutes
• This can be done the day before and left to marinate

Garrum glazed Piadina

• In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking soda, make a well in the middle and add the lard, mix with a fork, then slowly add the milk and mix.
• When almost combined move to a flat surface and knead into a smooth ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let rest 20 minutes.
• Divide dough into 3-4 balls, sprinkle a wooden board or flat surface with a little flour and place balls on top, cover with a tea towel and let rest 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile make a little brush with your herbs and tie with a rubber band or string.
• Mix together the oil from tuna, the garrum and crushed garlic clove.
• Roll out each ball to approximately 5-6 inches in diameter and quite thin.
• Prick the dough with a fork.
• Place the flat breads on the grill and when starting to turn golden brown, flip them over.
• Using your herb brush, liberally brush the cooked side.
• Flip again and brush liberally this side.
• Flip again, brush and then 1 more time.
• This ensures even cooking and lots of flavour from the glaze.
• Serve while still warm

Garnishes

• Finely slice radishes on a mandoline or with a Either use them straight away or store them in cold water until serving.
• Pick radish flowers and store in an airtight container until
• Squeeze fingerlime pearls out of the limes by cutting the tip off and squeezing them from the opposite Similar to a tube of toothpaste. Remove seeds and then place pearls into a small container until serving.

Assembly

• Dress the Kangaroo with the other ingredients and taste for seasoning
• Spoon tonnato dressing on the plate just off centre and make a round puddle
• Divide the kangaroo between the plates
• Then place a few pieces of pickled onion between the plates
• Place a few small piles of fingerlime pearls spread out
• Arrange the slices of radish to cover the whole mound of kangaroo
• Arrange radish flowers
• Serve piadina on a side plate while still warm and fresh

While we are currently in the depths of a bitterly cool winter, look forward to the warmer weather by planning your trip to the Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival, held from November 10th – 13th, where you can experience the Kangaroo Tonnato from Raes on Wategos in its original restaurant setting.