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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Wattleseed Bread and Bush Beef Stew


Earlier this week I made wattleseed bread. Wattleseed is one of my Barbushco australian native spices. I used this recipe but made one big loaf. It has an interesting smell, I did not find it all that nice, it reminded me of a plant! It is made the same as most yeast breads just incorporating the wattleseed and also macadamia oil.


It baked beautifully, I felt really pleased when I pulled it out of the oven. I cut it while still warm but it had lost its crispy crust, I'm quite new to baking bread so I'm not too sure why, maybe the oil? I served it warm with some honey and although the flavour wasn't amazing it was different and went perfectly with the honey. I kept going back for more. I froze the remainder to serve with my bush beef stew I made yesterday.

To cook the stew I pulled out my slow cooker. The recipe was adapted from the Barbushco recipe booklet that came with the spices. I cubed about a kilo of stewing beef and put in the slow cooker with 4 slice spring onions, 1/2 cup beef stock, sliced ginger, a couple of chopped potatoes, a teaspoon of lemon myrtle ground spice and 2 teaspoons of aniseed myrtle ground spice. I cooked this on low for about 4 hours and then added the 'seasoning'. This was where the recipe turned asian! The seasoning - 2 teaspoons garlic, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/3 rice wine, 1 tablespoon hot bean paste, 1 tablespoon dorrigo pepper, 2 tablespoons kecap manis and 2 tablespoons of sweet bean paste. I bought the bean pastes at the asian grocer and realised one of them had MSG, I really should read the labels before buying. I cooked the stew for a further 2 hours. 


I served this up with some beans and wattleseed bread and very tentatively tried it, it was really tasty! The bread worked really well with the interesting flavours of the stew. I wouldn't be cooking it up again in a hurry but I am very happy I did cook it.

12 comments:

  1. I love how you really carried through the whole bushfoods theme! :D

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  2. I've never heard of wattleseed before, but it sounds like it made one amazing loaf of bread!

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  3. I've used wattleseed in cakes and love the flavour. This sounds interesting and delicious!

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  4. What a lovely dinner!Well done,dear!A big kiss from Greece:)

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  5. A very hearty meal! Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Even if you say that the crust wasn't crunchy it still looks like a great loaf to me :-).

    Ciao
    Alessandra

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  7. Wattleseed, macadamia oil...all things that I have never heard of before. I love blogging and learning about these things! I also love stew and fix it all the time in the winter. About your bread...I'm a novice myself. I wonder though, if you put a pan of water below the bread while in the oven. The water steams the bread and I believe helps it form that crispy crust. But, like I said I am still learning. And....THANKYOU for voting!!

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  8. I baked bread the other week for the first time in ages and it was so good to have bread that you have made yourself. Yours looks wonderful

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  9. I have never heard of wattleseed! Your bread looks lovely, sounds good with the stew! Try brushing the top of the bread just before baking with some water, it will give a crusty crust, usually homebaked bread does not stay crusty for long.

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  10. I had a similar problem with my first-made (born?) bread the other week... It smelt funny. I used spelt flour and walnut oil. Maybe it's the oils that go rancid being exposed to high temps... ?

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  11. mmm, it certainly is stew weather isn't it? I made a foccacia with wattleseed once and couldn't quite taste the flavour, but I've since used the wattleseed in creamy desserts and it works really well with coffee flavours. Great work on the bread.

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  12. Wattleseed, macadamia oil - two things I haven't heard about before. That's why i love reading different blogs, learn new things.

    As for the bread, if you want a crispy crust put a pan with hot water in the oven and let it there while you preheat the oven and during baking. After your bread is done, let it cool for about an hour, depending on the size of the loaf. If you cut it, the air gets inside the bread and somehow it softens the crust (never been good explaining all these process, hope you understand)

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