Just the thought of savory international meals makes your mouth explode in jubilation. Thinking about rich aromas makes your senses tingle, sending you into orbit.
Here you’ll find savory international meals from 3 continents to tickle your taste buds!
You know spectacular flavors create powerful food memories.
Something to embrace and celebrate …
Walking down to a dock to get fresh seafood from a salty, old fisherman is what every dedicated cook dreams of.
Imagine the delectable flavors and fragrances from your adventures around the world softly seated in your memory.
I’ve spent 53 months, in 16 countries on five continents tasting my way through some amazing local delicacies.
These recipes will help you to recreate savory international meals from 3 continents at home.
Kangaroo Carpaccio Recipe
When you think of savory international meals, kangaroo carpaccio may not be the first thing that comes to mind. In Melbourne Australia, it was an unexpected surprise.
Serve this kangaroo dish with caper berries, shallots, a quail egg, and toasted sourdough for an easy to prepare, sure to please, starter.
A delectable recipe I’ve adjusted since kangaroo isn’t readily available. Although if you’re in Australia check out your local Wooly’s!
Ingredients:
10 very thin slices of Filet mignon or kangaroo fillet
4 halves fresh caper berries or 1 Tb drained capers
1 shallot, sliced thin
1Tb olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 quail egg (available at Asian markets)
1tsp butter
4 thin slices toasted sourdough
Arrange thinly sliced meat on the platter.
Sauté shallots lightly in olive oil. Add garlic and continue to sauté for a minute. Spread on top of filet and top with capers.
Cook quail egg sunny side up and plate next to the meat.
Serve with sourdough toast and prepare to enjoy!
New Zealand Green Lip Mussel Soup Recipe
The aroma of simmering New Zealand Green Lip Mussel soup is intoxicating. Preparing this meal is simple.
Green Lip Mussels can be found in numerous specialty seafood stores and are worth searching for.
Ingredients:
3+ lbs New Zealand Green Lip Mussels
4 medium potatoes chopped
2 medium onions chopped
12 cloves of garlic chopped
2 cups low salt chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 can coconut milk
4 Tbl Butter
Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste
Scrub mussels, rinse and put them in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until mussels start to open. About 15 minutes.
Remove mussels and set aside. Keep the broth!
Note: I find it easier to remove the beards from the mussels after they cook.
Set aside 3 mussels still in their shells for each bowl you’re serving for garnish.
Chop remaining mussels in large chunks. Set aside.
Add potatoes, onion, garlic, white wine, coconut milk, butter and chicken broth.
Simmer for 20min.
Add remaining mussels and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Serve with toasted sourdough.
Caracoles in White Wine Broth Recipe
The sound of crashing waves while gathering Caracoles is powerful.
Caracoles can be eaten raw. Smash one open, clean out the stomach and foot (it’s easy to see which is which) and pop it in your mouth.
If that pushes your foodie envelope too far, take them back to your kitchen and try this simple recipe.
Clams are easily adapted to this recipe as well!
Ingredients:
3 lbs of caracoles (or clams)
8 cloves of garlic minced
1.5 cups of white wine
4 Tb of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil caracoles for about 15 minutes.
(If using clams reduce the cooking time to just when the clams are starting to open. Remove clams but leave in shells.)
Remove shellfish and discard all but about a cup of the water.
To remove the caracoles meat bend the tong of a fork to pry the meat out.
Clean the stomach and foot off the meat. (It’s easy to tell which is which.)
Add white wine, garlic and butter to the pot and simmer 10 minutes.
Add the caracoles (or clams) and simmer briefly to coat.
Then plate in a shallow serving bowl.
Serve with toasted sourdough bread.
Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe
In Bangkok, the sounds and smells of street food being prepared before your eyes is mind boggling.
The staggering amount of vendors lining the streets of Bangkok, Thailand are a visual few forget. Each with it’s own fragrance.
More foods than you can identify make for a mind blowing experience.
One identifiable food resembled Vietnamese spring rolls.
These recipes will help you to recreate savory international meals or starters at home.
Ingredients:
12 Large shrimp, cleaned cooked and split lengthwise.
1 package rice paper wraps.
About a ¼ of 1 package of vermicelli rice noodles, cooked and drained (available at Asian markets).
Package of match stick cut carrots
1 English cucumber cut into match sticks
1 bunch each: mint, basil and cilantro cleaned, chopped and mixed together.
Peanut sauce for dipping
Buy or make this loosely measured peanut sauce:
½ cup chunky peanut butter
¼ cup ground fresh chili paste (to taste)
¼ cup Hoisin sauce
½ cup+ of water to thin to desired consistency
After all your ingredients are prepared, take a damp, clean kitchen cloth and lay it on the counter.
Run 1 rice paper wrap under water for a few seconds. Lay it on the damp towel. The rice paper should still feel a bit stiff.
Working quickly, lay a few shrimp pieces about a third from the bottom of the wrap.
Top with about ¼ cup of cooked noodles, a small amount carrots and cucumber and a sprinkle of herbs.
Start rolling from the bottom, folding the sides in and roll it up.
The tricky part is not getting the wrapper too wet. They get sticky and hard to deal with but don’t get discouraged. Once you master this, you’ll have a great appetizer everyone loves.
Serve with warm peanut sauce.
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Recreating savory international meals at home can be challenging.
Searching for unusual ingredients may take you on an amazing adventure to an international grocery store.
Although taking the time to develop a close second is worth the time and effort.
Enjoy these 4 recipes from 3 continents worth sharing!
If you would like to take a virtual vacation and read some more stories: