LaViande – Australian Alpaca

Upstairs at Hollick
Slow cooked La Viande Alpaca with Wilgha Farm jerusalem artichoke mash, honey roast baby carrots, nettle puree and cabernet jus

Ingredients:

• 1 shoulder La Viande Alpaca, boned
• 2lt Stock (Beef, Lamb or Alpaca)
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 cups each, diced carrots, celery and onion
• 1 Head Garlic
• 1 Bottle Hollick Cabernet Merlot
• 150g Butter
• Wilgha Farm Jerusalem Artichoke Mash (recipe below)
• Nettle Puree (recipe below)
• Honey Roasted Baby Carrots (recipe below)

Method:

Pre heat oven to 200°C

Roast diced vegetables until browned

Place vegetables and Alpaca in a casserole dish, then cover with hot stock and red wine, cover with a tight fitting lid

Place casserole dish into the oven and reduce the heat to 170°C for five to six hours, top up with stock or water as required

When the alpaca is tender enough, remove meat from the stock

Cool the alpaca slightly, then carefully shred the meat (a pair of rubber gloves can be useful) and set aside

Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve, place into a clean pan and reduce to a thick jus over a medium heat

Reheat alpaca in a little of the jus (reserving the rest to serve with the meat) finish by stirring through the butter until melted then season

Ingredients for Wilgha Farm Jerusalem Artichoke Mash

• 400g Jerusalem Artichokes, pealed
• 200g Floury Potatoes, pealed
• 200ml Cream
• 100g Butter
• Pinch of Australian River Salt

Place the artichokes and potatoes in a pan of cold water and slowly bring to the boil
Season lightly with salt and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender
In a second pan, bring the cream to the boil and reduce by half
Drain the artichokes and potato, allow to stand for a minute or two so excess moisture can evaporate
Pass the artichokes and potato through a food mill
If the mix is a little wet, return it to a clean pan over a low heat to dry
Combine the artichoke mix with the cream and butter, season to taste.

Ingredients for Nettle Puree

• 100g nettles, well washed and drained (see note*)
• Dash of Pendleton Estate Olive Oil

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil
Blanch nettles for 30 seconds, drain and refresh in ice water
Squeeze water out from the nettles
Puree in a food processor with a little olive oil to bind

*Nettles: make sure that the nettles have not been sprayed with weed killer and use rubber gloves to pick the tips of young nettles.

Ingredients for Honey Roasted Baby Carrots

• 600g new season Hillbilly vegetables’ carrots, washed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons Beckonbees honey
• Dash of Pendleton estate olive oil
• Australian river salt and black pepper

Place carrots in a pan of cold water with a little salt and bring to the boil
Drain well and allow the exes water to evaporate from the carrots
T oss the carrots in a little olive oil, honey, salt and black pepper
P lace carrots in a baking tray and slow roast at 170c for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with Hollick Cabernet, Merlot

2008 World Alpaca Conference

LaViande™ is proud to be a silver sponsor of the 2008 World Alpaca Conference.

Alpaca Cuts Brochure

LaViande™ has been working with the Australian Government Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and Ausmeat to create a Carcase and Cuts Specification for Alpaca Meat.

You can now download this brochure from the LaViande™ web site.

14th Annual Alpaca Show

Our Chef, Ariel Funes, cooking LaViande™ at the 14th Annual Alpaca Show held in Melbourne