How to Cook Mullet in Aboriginal Style
Host: This is Shark Bay in Western Australia. Now, when you come to a
place like this, you would be a fool for not trying the local seafood
and of course, there are many ways that you can cook a fish but I
am going find out how they have been doing it here for thousands
of years.
What fish do you have here?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: This fish here is called moolgarda and very one of the best
fish you can eat in the sea.
Host: What will I call?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: You would call that -- the English name is mullet.
Host: It’s just a coincidence that they got similar names.
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: Similar names, yes.
Host: How do we go about cooking?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: Pretty straightforward brother. The best way to cook these
is by putting these straight on the coals. These are whole.
Host: Yes.
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: We don’t cut them, so we cook them whole like that. So,
what we do -- you grab one there. All right, all we basically do is
we just lay them on the coals like that and when we make a fire for
cooking, we use the best wood which is this acacia wood which
comes from the red sand country. And when you burn it,
obviously, the smoke and the smell of the wood goes through the
fish, so that’s what that smoky type of flavor. This on fire has been
burning for about half an hour to an hour.
Host: How long should we leave this in?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: We’ll cook the side. We’ll flip them over by probably
about nine or 10 minutes each side.
Host: What other kind of seafood that you guys cook from around here?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: This over here, this is another shell that we get. This is a
cone shell and this crawls along the ocean floor. And then on we
eat the flesh on this which we can cook evenly like that and cook
them in the shell like a pot. This is the best way to cook crabs and
all straight on the coast.
Host: Yeah.
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: Get amused in mother kangaroos and other things while
that cooks right in the coals like that. These leaves of the acacia,
we take some of those off the tree. We lay them out like that as a
plate.
Host: Yeah.
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: If you grab these, I’ll follow off and lay them straight on
there.
Host: Fantastic. I like that, beautiful isn’t it?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: Yes. This is a pearl shell. We can use it for cutting. All
right, can you see that?
Host: Sharp isn’t it?
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: All we do is we pull that skin back. You see all that yellow
there?
Host: Yes.
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: That is omega-3 oils, beautiful and healthy. It is one of the
healthiest fish you could ever eat in the ocean. And all we do with
this pearl shell is we just use put a piece in there and we cut them
off like that. Whenever you are doing a tour or there’s an
aboriginal tour, before you eat food, always make sure that the
guide eats the food first.
Host: Sure.
Daren ‘Capes’ Capewell: All right, so obviously me being the guide, I’ll have a taste
for you. And there is your lunch, my brother.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services