[Sca-cooks] Big Eggs

[Robyn.Hodgkin at affa.gov.au]

Most Australian game meat is served quite rare.  Kangaroo and crocodile certainly are, though I have not eaten emu (at least in my recollection). Australian game tends to be very low in fat so can become very dry if overcooked.  Mind you I had a redwine and kangaroo pie recently which had obviously been cooked long and slow, and was just scrumptious. The other thing that is often done with Australian game meat is threading fat through it to keep it moist.

(by the way, we did a test run for the first course of Lochac's coronation feast last weekend, and the venison was roasted long and slow and was tender and lovely, especially with the prune and claret sauce)

I think how you end up serving meats, rare or well done, is very dependant on the dish, and the history of the meat.  If the emu was bought from a butcher then it will be farmed emu and be free of any nasty bugs. However... like all big birds, if you get the emu frozen, then you must be a bit more careful, just as you would be with a gigantic turkey.  (this is why most frozen turkeys now have a list of ingredients; they tend to be filled with preservatives to prevent nasties growing in the thawing or initial heating process)  My recollection is that the recommendation is to start with the oven quite hot to bring the bird up to temperature quickly, then drop the temperature to then slowly roast it.  I tend to like my birds well done, but you don't have to get carried away about it.

Kiriel