Australian Bush Foods - Royale Style

This one is actually one of Jyames'. Im just saying it as I saw and assisted it! This uses freshly roasted Bunya nuts, and fresh lemon myrtle leaves. Absolutely amazing flavours - Tastes even better the next day!!!

2 medium eggplant, sliced into 2cm thick rounds and rubbed with salt
1 capsicum, sliced
1 zuchini, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, woody bits removed
1/2 a leek, quatered lengthways
15 Bunya nuts - slit crosswise on the top
2 twigs of fresh young lemon myrtle leaves
1 small tub of fresh cream
about 6 cloves of garlic
a few sprigs of mint
salt and pepper to taste




Put the bunya nuts into water that has reached a rolling boil. Boil them for around 40 minutes or until the shells start to split. Discard any that have not split.
Carefully extend the splits on 2 sides with a sharp knife and peel away a section - be very careful not to cut yourself! Once you have about 1/2 the shell off, you can squeeze out the nut.
Toss the nuts in chopped garlic and a little olive oil. bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.



Barbecue the capsicum, zuchini and asparagus. Put the leek into a foil pouch and put on the barbecue, turning the bag every few minutes so that the leek does not burn.
barbecue the eggplant on each side for about 5 minutes, until it just starts to become tender.
Set all aside to cool.


arrange the stacks with a layer of eggplant on the bottom, alternating with layers of capscium, leek and asparagus, finishing off with a small round of eggplant. Choose a middle layer and place a few leaves of lemon myrtle with the layer. Place zuchini around the stack. toss around a few leaves of mint and half the bunya nuts, add a few lemon myrtle leaves to the top.
Pour over cream and season with salt and pepper.

Bake in oven for approximately an hour, until the eggplant is soft and the cream has thickened into a sauce.

serve with a really good red wine.

This dish is very heavy and quite filling, so if you are like me, you will probably have leftovers for the next day. This is a very good thing as the lemon myrtle has had time to seep through the layers and sauce. This is one of those dishes thats divine as it comes out of the oven and even better the next day!!