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 Mountain Pepper | Tasmanian Pepper
Mountain pepper/Tasmanian pepper: Tasmannia Ianceolata Common Names: mountain pepperleaf, mountain pepper, mountain pepperberry, Dorrigo pepper The Tasmannia genus of peppers, native to Austraslia, including mountain pepper and DLorrigo pepper, should not be confused with native pepper which is a vine and member of the Piperaceae family. Mountain and Dorrigo pepper plants are similar to each other, except that the Dorrigo variety is from a more northern habitat along the eastern seaboard of New South Wales, Australia and it has a less pungent taste. Hence the botanical name T insipida. Dorrigo pepper grows wild in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Although these plants grow prolifically on the East Coast of Australia, there appears to be no evidence of their culinary or medicinal application by the indigenous people. It is thought that some nineteenth century colonists made use of its bark, possibly as an external liniment, however culinary interest in the flavor components of Australian native plants is a recent twentieth century development, which has now become fashionable.Regarded as a staple, bush tomatoes that had dried on the shrub in low humidity desert conditions were gathered and ground with water to produce a thick paste which was formed into large balls and left to dry in the blazing sun. The high acidity characterized in the tangy flavor and rich vitamin C content acted as a preservative, making storage over long periods of time possible and these balls were often wedged into the forks of trees for later use. Although the Australian Aborigines used bush tomatoes primarily for sustenance, our current inquisitiveness and desire for diversified taste experiences has led us to appreciate bush tomatoes as a spice, used in small quantities to enhance the flavor of a wide range of foods in everyday meals. Description Mountain pepperleaf, which is stronger when dried, has a pleasing woody fragrance with vague pepper and dry, cinnamon-like notes. The flavor is similarly woody and camphor-like until its sharp pepper taste and lingering heat becomes apparent. Mountain pepper berries have an oily, mineral-like, turpentine aroma. Warning: when even minute grains of the ground fruits are tasted, an initial sweet, fruity flavor is quickly followed by an intense, biting, tongue-numbing and eyewatering heat that continues to build and will not subside for several minutes. This continuing heat development which is experienced with both the leaves and the berries is a result of the enzymes contained in mountain pepper being activated by one's saliva. Purchasing and Storage Culinary Uses of Mountain Pepper Do not use ground mountain pepperberries directly onto food — they’re just too bitingly hot. Mountain pepperberries are delicious when put into slow-cooked dishes like stews and soups, as the extended cooking time tends to dissipate their pungency and the unusual flavor gets a chance to really complement the food. They are also excellent with game meats and when used sparingly, in marinades for both white and red meat.. Names in Other Languages
Features the Australian specialty Tasmanian Pepper. Serve with a salad of field greens with Tasmanian Pepper And Strawberry Dressing (recipe below) 4 center-cut boneless pork loin chops, 1-inch thick Coconut Rice For the pork loin For the coconut rice To serve, place a pork loin atop a bed of coconut rice Tasmanian Pepper And Strawberry Dressing 2 baskets of strawberries, washed and hulled Blend all the ingredients until completely puréed. Use immediately as a salad dressing. Tasmanian-Pepper Poached Salmon To make this dish spicier, sprinkle the fillets with ground pepper berries, but be warned—it tends to turn food slightly purple! 1 lemon Finely grate 1/2 teaspoon of zest from the lemon; wrap the grated zest in plastic. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the remaining zest from the lemon in wide strips. Cut the strips into thin julienne. Squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice from the lemon. In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil with the pepper berries and the lemon julienne and bring to a boil. Simmer the oil over low heat for 20 minutes. Pour the oil through a fine strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids. Return the oil to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the salmon fillets, season with salt and pepper and simmer over moderately low heat until cooked on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, carefully turn the fillets over and cook until just opaque throughout, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the salmon to a warmed platter or plates. Ladle out all but 1/4 cup of the olive oil and set the skillet over moderately high heat. Add the lemon juice and orange juice and boil for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the grated lemon zest and gradually whisk in the butter. Season the sauce with salt, pour it over the salmon fillets and serve. Serves 6 Potato pancake Boil potatoes with skin on. Cool slightly, peel and mash with salt and mountain pepper. Cool completely. Kneed mash with flour. Dough should be of a consistency that can be rolled out. Divide dough into 12 balls. Roll each out into a 15-20cm diameter pancake. Fry pancakes on a pan with a little oil, turning frequently. This can be done hours earlier. Reheat pancakes prior to serving. Mixed mushroom sauté Soak shiitake mushrooms in enough warm water to cover them. Slice leek and zucchini in 1cm slices. Break or cut mushrooms into desirable pieces (not too small). Sauté leek and rosemary then add zucchini. Sauté a few minutes then add mixed mushrooms. Add shiitake and cream. Add salt and lemon myrtle. To serve, place two folded pancakes on each plate with the mixed mushroom sauté inside the folded pancake. Accompany with a rocket salad tossed with vinaigrette. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place to preserve aroma and flavour. Fillet of Beef with Mountain Pepperleaf 800 gr. butt fillet of beef, well trimmed Place all spices together in bowl. Mix well. Coat fillet of beef on all sides with the spice mix. Place in refrigerator to set flavours. When ready to cook. Heat a heavy-based grill or pan to very hot. Place meet into pan and cook without turning for 4 minutes. Turn and keep turning every few minutes for 10—15 minutes. This will give a rare result. For medium, cook a further 5 – 10 minutes, turning until roast feels firmer. Allow to cool and refrigerate if not using within one hour. Lamb Cutlets With Australian Spices 1 teaspoon ground lemon myrtle leaves Combine herbs, spices and oil in a large ceramic dish. Add lamb and press each cutlet into herb and spice mix to coat on each side, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow flavours to develop. Pre-heat a barbecue to a high heat. Barbecue lemon slices and lamb for 2-3 minutes on each side for medium, or until cooked to your liking, then transfer to a plate, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with Aussie coleslaw and vegetable crisps.
Beef Rissoles with Australian Spices Serves: 6 - 8 people 1 kg minced beef Mix all ingredients except for the flour and let it rest for ½ hour. Shape the mince into rissoles and roll in flour. Fry them on the fry pan. TIP: The rissoles freeze well before cooking.
Pepper Beef Stew Serves: 6 people 1 kg beef chunks Brown the meat in a little oil. Add the chopped onion, crushed pepper berries, sugar and enough water for simmering. Cook over very low heat until the meat is tender (about 3 hours). Add the diced potato and carrot. Let it simmer until cooked. Add the bush tomato. Mix cornflour with some water and add to the stew to thicken the sauce.
Tasmanian Pepper Casserole Serves: 4 people 50 g margarine Brown the meat in 15 g of the margarine and in several batches. Melt the rest of the margarine and add the flour. Stir until it browns a little. Remove from heat and gradually add the stock while whisking. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt and Tasmannia Pepper. Bring to the boil while stirring. Add meat and bring back to the boil, let it simmer for 1½ -2 hours. Add the vegetables and cook for a further 30 minutes without a lid. Add the bush tomato for the last 15 minutes. TIP: You can reduce the amount of meat and add more vegetables. You may also be interested in Wattelseed, Lemon Myrtle and Bush Tomato Mountain Pepper | Tasmanian Pepper © 2009, The Epicentre. All rights reserved. |
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