Next I travelled east from Perth to Melbourne. It is difficult to truly appreciate the vastness of Australia until you have been. The distance between the two cities is 1700 miles, thats the equivalent of travelling from England to Turkey. Yet despite this, the two cities are on a similar latitude and the climate did not alter much. However, where Perth was small and polished, Melbourne was larger and had a different vibe altogether. The city has a slightly more bohemian quality and seems to have a more varied and eclectic makeup of people. There are myriad great places to eat and a lot of beautiful architecture. Crossing the river and venturing to the Shrine of Remembrance is well worth the trip and I also enjoyed a few hours in the State Library. Not only did it have free wifi, but the library itself is housed in a stunning building, complete with a magnificent dome and other period features.
However, I probably enjoyed Melbourne so much because I was able to spend time with some friends who live a short train ride out of the city. Together we explored St Kilda, a small beachfront enclave south-east of the city, home to a small food market with a range of modest pubs and bars to frequent. We also made it back into the city and tried some of the more fashionable bars there, including a unique watering hole, ensconced between a variety of buildings in the middle of a large city block. The bar had no roof and the floor was covered with sand, what could be more Australian than that? Ideal for a balmy summer night in the city. Despite this, my favourite day in Melbourne actually came when my friends drove me to the nearby Dandenongs. A beautiful mountain range and national park; the drive took us through some gorgeous scenery, allowing me to experience a different side of Australia. The vistas were impressive and a stop off at the quaint town of Olinda allowed me to enjoy some Australian confections, including the oddly aromatic musk sticks, which I liked despite their odd texture and floral aroma, and a biscuit called a yoyo, that resembled the alfajores I had eaten in peru, but were sandwiched together with buttercream instead of the eponymous dulce de leche. My friends and I also enjoyed a traditional Aussie outdoor barbecue on the cusp of the national park.
I contemplated posting a barbecue recipe, but all we really did was purchase some good quality produce and grill it plainly. Besides barbecue season is deicedly smaller in the UK. So instead I will post a recipe that shows the diversity of the food in Australia. Their proximity to south east asia, means that there is a massive range of cuisines from this region, brought by immigrants and restauranteurs. Amongst the many dishes I tried, my favourite was a small Nepalese dumpling known as a MoMo. I had this dish twice in short succession, both at an Asian fusion restaurant and at the Victoria night market. A MoMo is probably best described as being similar to a chinese dumpling or japanese gyoza. Only here, the paper thin steamed pastry, encapsualtes a spicy minced chicken that evoked the flavours and aromas of India. These can be hot and are normally served with a similarly spicy sauce or achar for dipping.
Level: high
Methods: novel dough
Skills: sauteeing, steaming, roasting
Time: 2 hours
Makes: 24 momos (serves 4-6 as a starter)
Ingredients
Olive oil, to grease
4 ripe tomatoes, halved
2 long fresh red chillies, deseeded and coarsely chopped
1tbsp mustard seed oil (olive oil is fine too)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp grated fresh ginger
2tsp ground coriander
400g chicken mince
2 shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
3tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2tsp ground cumin ground cumin
1/2tsp chilli powder
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp grated fresh ginger
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
300g plain flour
Pinch of salt
125ml hot water
Olive oil, to grease
40g butter
Method
1. To make the tomato achar, preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Brush a baking tray with olive oil to lightly grease. Place the tomatoes on the tray. Roast in oven for 45 minutes or until golden and the skin loosens.
3. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Use your fingers to remove the skins and discard. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chilli and process until smooth.
5. Heat the mustard seed oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft.
6. Add the coriander and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the tomato mixture.
7. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
8. To make the momos, combine the mince, shallot, coriander, cumin, chilli, garlic, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
9. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the hot water. Use a table knife to mix until almost combined, adding extra water if necessary.
10. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth.
11. Place back in the bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside for 20 minutes to rest.
12. Brush a large baking tray with olive oil to lightly grease.
13. Roll 1 tablespoonful of dough into a ball. Use the palm of your hand to flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll out to an 8cm-diameter disc.
14. Holding the dough disc in the palm of your hand, place 1 tablespoonful of mince mixture in the centre. Bring the dough together to enclose the filling, pleating and pinching the edges to seal.
15. Place on the prepared tray and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining dough and mince mixture to make 24 momos.
16. Add enough water to a pan or wok to reach a depth of 5cm. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Brush a steamer with olive oil to lightly grease.
17. Place one-third of the momos in the steamer and cover. Place over the pan and cook, covered, for 12 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a large plate.
18. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining momos.
19. Heat half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook half the momos for 2 minutes or until bases are crisp. Repeat with remaining butter and momos.
20. Serve with tomato achar.
Mastication / Destination 