Everyone has a stew they can brag about. In this episode Bo Carne shares his Nana’s version of the good old billabong stew – in this case his family calls it ‘Nana’s half caste stew’. Using basic ingredients like: gravy beef, onions, carrots, celery and potatoes with a little seasoning and soy this stew is sure to delight everyone and take you back to your childhood.
Accompanying the stew is Bo’s version of a very hot and spicy blachan- which he draws on from his Darwin family and friends and coming to his own version. Using the giblets and hearts of the Magpie Goose to give nice texture he cooks up a condiment that will delight the diehards who like a bit of bite in their meals
Preparation
Cooking
Skill level
Ingredients
Blachan Ingredients
- 650g of ginger (4 large chunks blended)
- 600g of garlic (blended)
- 1 cup Shrimp paste and red wine – blended together and placed in fridge
- 1L bottle of peanut oil
- 7 hearts and giblets from magpie geese
- 4 cups of birds’ eye chilli (blended)
Rice (medium or long grain)
Half Caste Stew Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. of oil
- 1kg of gravy beef
- 1 brown onion
- 4 tbsps. Of light soya sauce
- 2 handfuls of garlic and ginger
- 1 cup of water
- 2 carrots (roughly chopped)
- 3 potatoes (roughly chopped)
- 1 sweet potato (roughly chopped)
- 1 stick of celery (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. of pepper
- 2 tsps. Of beef stock (heaped)
- 2 ½ tbsps. of cornflour
Cook's notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Instructions
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55–60 g, unless specified.
To make the blachan, prepare your shrimp paste and 1 cup of red wine by blending together; then placing mix into a bowl, sealing with glad wrap and placing into fridge. Leaving in fridge until required. In a large frying pan heat 1 litre of peanut oil. Once heated add in 650g of blended ginger. Allow to cook until golden brown. (Continue to stir so the ginger doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan). Once ginger has browned add in 600g of blended garlic. Cook for approximately an hour, continuously stirring. During this time prepare your hearts and giblets by finely slicing. When ready, add in you chopped hearts and giblets to the pan. Allow to cook for an hour; making sure to stir every few minutes. Blend 4 cups of birds’ eye chilli then add to pan. Mix well, and allow to cook for approximately 15-20 minutes. Then add in your bowl of blended shrimp paste and red wine; stir well. Cook for approximately 5 mins before placing lid onto pot, then allow to cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat; leaving the lid on the potand let sit for 10-15 minutes. Then you’re done! Serve with rice, fish or anything.
To make the half caste stew, add oil to a medium sized pot (place on a medium to high heat). Then add in the chopped gravy beef. Stir, so that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Then add a chopped onion. Stir; to allow the onion to cook. Add to pot 4 tbsps. Of soya sauce, mixing as you do this. Then add in the garlic and ginger. Mix well. Then add 1 cup of water. This will help to form the liquid base of the stew. While stirring add in the chopped carrots, potatoes, sweet potato and celery. Then add in 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Add 2 heaped tsps. of beef stock and mix well. Place lid onto pot, reduce the heat to low and allow cooking for 10-15 minutes. Or until the vegetables (mainly the potatoes) are soft. In a cup of water add 2 ½ tbsps. of cornflour and mix well or until completely combined. Then add to pot 9this will help thicken up the stew). Mix well, and turn off the heat. Serve with rice or damper.
