— Get some inspiration from the Pepperberry themed episode of The Cook Up with guest host Nornie Bero —
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Pepperberries
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 24m
PG
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 24m
PG
– also known as Tasmanian pepper, mountain pepper, Dorrigo pepper and pepperleaf, among other names – is an indigenous plant often associated with Tasmania, although it is grown in other states, too. Both the leaves (often ground) and the small, dark purple berries (usually sold air-dried or freeze-dried) are used in cooking, adding a range of aromatic, spicy notes and, with the berries, colour too.
Here are some delicious pepperberry recipes that will show you how to use several of the different forms of the berry, from pies and stir-fries to even an ice-cream!
Mark Olive's vibrant warrigal greens, pepperleaf (one of the names used for the ground leaves of the pepperberry plant) and saltbush frittata, topped with crumbled sheep's cheese, is quick and easy to make.
Credit: Tammi Kwok
Turn up the heat a little with this recipe from Nornie Bero, with karkalla, cucumber, samphire and chilli pickled in a red wine vinegar and spice pickling liquid that includes whole pepperberries in the mix. Great served with cheese and bread.
Pickled pepperberries and succulents Credit: Jiwon Kim
Here, Indigenous chef Mindy Woods uses ground pepperberries in a punchy beef marinade, and then in the stir-fry sauce, too. The beef is stir-fried with a mix of native greens and succulants, and roasted macadamias, for a celebration of Australian ingredients on your plate.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
You'll mostly see pepperberry used in savoury dishes, where standard pepper might be otherwise used, but here Matthew Evans uses pepperberry leaves and ground dried pepperberries to add warmth to a luscious ice-cream recipe.
Credit: Scott Sinclair
Looking to add some zing at your next barbecue? In this recipe from Mark Olive, frozen pepperberries are used in a red wine sauce, adding some punch to the the beef, mushroom and cherry tomato skewers, which are threaded with a few lemon myrtle leaves for an extra dose of Australian flavour.
Grilled beef skewers with pepper berry sauce Credit: On Country Kitchen
Pepperberry and lemon myrtle are paired again in this recipe from Indigenous cook, author and bushfood educator Jody Orcher. Ready in just 20 minutes, this dish matches the ground pepperberry, lemon myrtle and finger lime-flavoured lamb with quick-pickled tomato, onion and cucumber.
Pepperberry and lemon myrtle lamb Credit: Jiwon Kim
"This is my spin on the classic Chinese salt and pepper squid. I've used native Australian ingredients: dried saltbush flakes for their herbaceous saltiness, mountain pepper for its punch and dried lemon myrtle for its zing," says Mark Olive of this punchy take on the classic.
Credit: Adam Liaw
A rich, creamy mushroom filling is elevated with native spices – ground pepperberry, saltbush and bush tomato – then topped with crisp butter puff pastry in this pie from Nornie Bero.
Wild mushroom and pepperberry pie Credit: Jiwon Kim
The cooked beer-battered mushrooms are tossed in an Aussie spice salt (with ingredients including wattleseed, bush tomato and ground mountain pepper) for a finishing touch of flavour in this Adam Liaw recipe.
Beer-battered mushrooms Credit: Kitti Gould
Try this modern-day Indigenous twist on the classic spag bol from Kirsten Banks. This hearty dish features a rich and savoury meaty sauce, infused with the distinctive flavour of ground pepperberry.
Pepperberry bolognese Credit: Jiwon Kim
