SERVES 4
8 small wallaby shanks
1/2 cup flour for dusting
2 dspn extra virgin olive oil
1 dspn butter
1 large carrot, peeled
1 large celery stick
100g kalamata olives, pitted
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large onion, peeled
1 cup (250ml) red wine
1 litre beef stock
500ml tomato passata or puree
1 tsp dried wild thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh)
1 tsp pepper leaf (or black pepper)
1 tsp sea salt
2 bay leaves
35g kutjera (bush tomatoes), chopped coarsely (3-8 mm pieces)
2 tbsp sea parsley, chopped
- Dust the shanks with flour and brown all over in the oil/butter in a braising pan.
- Cut the carrot and celery into large (2cm) pieces. Add to the pot, and brown for a few minutes, to caramelise them lightly.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pan. Cover and bring to the boil.
- Simmer very gently for approximately 1.5 – 2 hours, until the shanks are quite tender, almost falling off the bone. The sauce may need a little reduction to thicken, if desired.
- Serve with: mashed potato; polenta; pureed garlic cauliflower; or risotto. Garnish with sea parsley.
(recipe courtesy of Andrew Fielke in John Newton’s The Oldest Foods on Earth, 2016, pp. 170-171)