Six Seasons: Yongar Burgers

The calendar of the South West’s Nyoongar people includes six annual seasons – Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang – which all reflect the changes in the natural world that come with the passing of time. Each is traditionally used as a guide to what to harvest and where to move across the land.

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Fremantle’s Lighthouse Baking to bring you six recipes that each fit with a Nyoongar season – helping you observe all six seasons with something delicious and truly timely. Second in the series is the Djilba season – the ‘grassy season’ or season of conception – which hits in August and September. This is a transitional time, with cold, fresh days combining with warmer, rainy and windy days. Flowers start to explode across the horizon at this time of year, and traditionally the main food sources include land-based grazing animals such as the Yongar (kangaroo), the Waitj (emu) and the Koomal (possum). With kangaroo meat forming a staple, sustainable part of the Indigenous diet, here’s a recipe that reflects that –  kangaroo burgers in a simple, DIY homemade bun – enjoy!

The burger bun

Ingredients

1x sachet (600g) Lighthouse Crusty White Vienna Bread Mix

350mL lukewarm water

1x sachet (6g) yeast (included in bread mix)

1 (50g) large egg, lightly beaten

Method

Place bread mix and yeast in a large bowl. Add lukewarm water and mix with a fork to form a dough, then mix further with hands to bring dough together.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes (applying extra flour to prevent the dough sticking) until the dough is soft and elastic.

Place dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean, damp cloth then leave in a warm place until dough doubles in volume (approx. 45 mins).

Alternatively, the dough can be made using the bread and pizza dough setting on your bread machine. Follow the instructions on your bread machine manual to replace steps 1-3.

Preheat oven to 220°C conventional/200°C fan-forced.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for 1 minute. Divide dough into 12 equal sized pieces (approximately 50g). Roll the dough into rounds and place onto a lined baking tray, cover with a clean damp cloth and leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in sized (approximately 20 minutes). Alternatively place the dough on two trays to ensure the dough doesn’t join together during proofing.

Brush the surface of the dough with the lightly beaten egg; sprinkle the top with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Place baking tray into the preheated oven.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Place onto wire rack and allow to cool.

The burgers

Ingredients

500g kangaroo mince

Half onion, grated

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp dried oregano

6 sliced pickles

4 slices of cheddar cheese

2 tbsp aioli

4 beetroot leaves

1 sliced beetroot

Spicy fruit chutney

Method

Squeeze any excess juices from the onion and mix the onion with the meat, cumin, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Form into four round burgers, using egg rings to help with the shape.

Pan-fry or grill for four minutes on one side. Turn and finish the cooking until done to your liking, but it’s best served medium-rare.

Toast the buns lightly, and spread each half with spicy fruit chutney and/or aioli.

Top the base bun with beetroot leaf, kangaroo patty, cheese, pickles and beetroot slices. Top with the remaining half of the bun and serve hot.

BETTER TOGETHER IS A COLLECTION OF PEPPERMINT PARTNERSHIPS WHERE WE TEAM UP WITH BRANDS WE LOVE TO BRING YOU INSPIRATIONAL STORIES. SIX SEASONS HAS BEEN CREATED AS A COLLABORATION WITH OUR FRIENDS AT LIGHTHOUSE.