Food Pairing | Bull In A China Shop Pétillant Rouge with Kangaroo Skewers

Bull In A China Shop Pétillant Rouge with Kangaroo Skewers

The one that refuses to sit still. Sparkling red is already a bit of a provocation, so we may as well go the whole way with the plate.

Bull In A China Shop Pétillant Rouge

Serve it chilled. Sparkling red is at its best cold.

Chargrilled Kangaroo Skewers with Bush Tomato Relish

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 800g kangaroo fillet, cut into 3cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground native pepperberry, or cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground wattleseed (optional)
• Sea salt
• 8 metal or soaked wooden skewers

For the bush tomato relish

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons ground bush tomato (akudjura)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Method

1. Make the relish first. Soften the onion in the oil for 8 minutes, add the garlic for a minute, then the tomatoes, bush tomato, vinegar and sugar. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until thick and jammy. Season and set aside.
2. Toss the kangaroo with the oil, pepperberry and wattleseed. Leave for 20 minutes at room temperature. Salt just before cooking.
3. Thread onto skewers, four or five pieces each, not packed too tightly.
4. Get a chargrill or barbecue very hot. Cook the skewers for 90 seconds a side, no more. Kangaroo is extremely lean and turns to leather if you push it past medium-rare.
5. Rest for 5 minutes, which is not optional here.
6. Pile onto a plate and spoon the relish over generously.

Why it works: the bubbles and bright acidity cut clean through lean, iron-rich game, and the wine's forest floor character meets the native spice. Chilled sparkling red with barbecue is one of the great underrated matches.

Not cooking tonight? Hot spicy fried chicken

Chilled sparkling red against crisp, salty, spicy fried chicken is one of the great pairings, and we will not be taking questions. The bubbles scrub the palate clean between bites, the chill takes the edge off the heat, and the bright black and blue fruit handles the salt without breaking a sweat. Serve it colder than you think you should.