FOOD WITH MIGUEL MAESTRE

Transcription

1 FOOD WITH MIGUEL MAESTRE LAP OF TASSIE PART 3 WESTERN WILDERNESS PART 1: TASSIE S WILD WEST It s the final leg of Chris and Miguel s lap of Tassie, and this time, the boys venture into the wild western wilderness Their first stop, the infamous Mole Creek Hotel, homw to tall tales of Tassie Tiger signtings. But Chris & Miguel have their sights on another wild Tassie experience diving for black lipped abalone. It s one of our most elusive and expensive seafoods. After bagging an impressive yield, Miguel creates a sumptuous seafood supper.

2 WILD ABALONE TOURS Tasmanian Wild Abalone Tours offer personalised Abalone experiences and tours in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. They are a boutique, family owned company specializing in unique and personal, fully guided tours. On your tour, you can expect to catch fresh wild Abalone from pure unadulterated waters and be shown new and exciting ways of preparing and eating your catch. Safety is their number one priority and the guides are very experienced, and combined, have spent over 30 years diving, snorkeling and participating in extreme cold water adventure activities. The company also offers day tours and custom designed itineraries. All tours take place on the North West Coast of Tasmania. TOUR INFORMATION: TOUR: The Wild Abalone Immersion FEATURES: 2 nights. 3 fully guided snorkel dives. Legally catch up to 10 Abalone per day. All equipment supplied. License to catch Abalone. 4wd transport to dive sites. Cook a shared Abalone feast. All food, refreshments, twin share accommodation and transfers from Launceston, Devonport or Burnie Airports are included. Japanese interpretation. COST: $1200 All inclusive. For more information, please visit:

3 ABOUT ABALONE ABOUT: Abalone is a common name for any of a group of edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae. Other common names are ear shells, sea ears, muttonfish or muttonshells in Australia, ormer in Great Britain, perlemoen and venus's-ears in South Africa and pāua in New Zealand. Abalone is one of the most prized sea delicacies worldwide. Their shells have a low and open spiral structure, and are identified by numerous open respiratory pores in a row near the shell's outer edge. The thick inner layer of the shell is composed of nacre or mother-of-pearl. The flesh of abalones is widely considered to be a desirable food, and is consumed raw or cooked in a variety of different dishes. Abalone live on the rocky bottom and each species has a distinctive habitat. Farming of abalone began in the late 1950's and early 1960's in Japan and China. A very rapid development of abalone cultivation has taken place in the 1990s and it is now widespread in many countries including USA, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Ireland, Iceland and others. Worldwide, there are over 15 species of abalone which are farmed and commercially important. AUSTRALIAN ABALONE: Tasmania supplies approximately 25% of the yearly world abalone harvest. Around 12,500 Tasmanians recreationally fish for blacklip and greenlip abalone. Victoria has had an active abalone fishery since the late 1950s. Since 2002 the Victorian Industry has seen a significant decline in catches, with the total allowable catch (TAC) reduced from 1440 tonnes to 787 tonnes for the 2011/12 fishing year. This is due to dwindling stocks and most notably the abalone virus Ganglioneuritis which is fast spreading and lethal to abalone stocks. MIGUEL S KITCHEN: KING S RUN THE PROPERTY: Straight from the sea to the plate, Miguel prepares his abalone in the Kings Run cabin. Situated in the far North West of Tasmania, King s Run is approximately 800 acres of coastal heath land. The property now has a conservation covenant over areas of the land aimed at protecting the archaeological. The western boundary is the Southern Ocean. The coast features a rugged foreshore studded with quartzite outcrops and an abundance of shorebirds. Inland, heath land and low eucalyptus containing rare flora supports a variety of birdlife including many of Tasmanias endemic species. LOCAL WILDLIFE: The main feature of Kings Run is its nocturnal wildlife. The marsupial lawn is grazed by large numbers of wallaby as well as wombat and bandicoot. These animals in turn support healthy

4 populations of the worlds largest carnivorous marsupials Tasmanian Devils and Spot Tail Quolls. Visitors are now able to enjoy inland and coastal walks focussing on birdlife, plants, tracks and traces, devil viewings and a nocturnal tour amongst the masses of wallaby and other wildlife that have populated the property. COSTS: Tour duration is approximately 4 hours; Tasmanian Devils can appear as early as an hour after sunset. Light snacks and fluids are provided. There is a porta-loo on site. Tour prices are as follows: $ per person - mixed groups $ per person - personalised tour For more information please visit: RECIPES Garlic Abalone & King Prawns Ingredients: 60ml extra virgin olive oil 4 large king prawns, peeled, de-veined (U6 size preferred) 1 abalone, cleaned, sliced very thinly (shells cleaned and reserved) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped Lemon wedges 1 tomato Fresh crusty bread, to serve Process: Heat oil in a small cast iron or clay dish. Add prawns and cook for about 3 minutes or until just cooked (Note that they turn orange when cooked through). Stir in the sliced abalone, garlic and parsley. Serve while still sizzling with a squeeze of lemon juice.

5 Cut a tomato in half and rub the inside flesh directly onto some fresh crusty bread and serve. Use bread to soak up the oil, which has been beautifully infused with flavours of the prawns, abalone, garlic and parsley. WEBLINKS