Yula with salt bush chips

Yula (also known as muttonbird) is a type of short-tailed shearwater seabird, native to Australia, particularly in Lutruwita Tasmania and is one of the oldest living cultural ingredients in the world. The bird earned its name ‘muttonbird’ due to its oily, rich meat, comparable to the taste of mutton. Learn how to cook it to perfection with Kitana Mansell, Indigenous food expert from Palawa Kipli, Tasmania’s top Aboriginal food business.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Soulful Food

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

Ingredients

• 2 whole muttonbirds
• 1 cup (250 ml) native honey
• ½ bunch fresh kunzea, leaves stripped
• 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 fresh saltbush bunches, leaves stripped

Resting time: 5 minutes

Instructions

1. Use kitchen scissors to cut the mutton birds in half, then place into an extra-large container that can hold both birds.
   
2. Combine the honey in a jug with enough water to create a thinner, pourable consistency, then pour over the mutton birds. Sprinkle with the kunzea leaves, then cover and marinate overnight.
   
3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 150˚C (fan-forced). Place the marinated mutton birds onto baking trays lined with baking paper and bake for 25 minutes, or until the meat is bursting out of the ribcage. Increase the heat to 180˚C, and cook for 5 minutes, to crisp up the glazed skin. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
   
4. While the mutton birds are baking, fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with the oil and heat to 175˚C. Deep-fry the saltbush leaves for 5 minutes, or until crunchy and golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crisp leaves to a rack, lined with paper towel.
   
5. To serve, brush excess honey glaze from the tray over the mutton birds and serve with the salt bush chips.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

Want more from The Cook Up? Stream all the seasons here and for free at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Soulful Food

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G