Food trends: Nose-to-tail eating is cheap and organ meat is good for you, says nutritionist Georgia Lienneman

BUTCHER Dave Head’s bolognaise is half-hearted - literally - and he reckons a bit of brain omlet is “perfect” for newcomers to eating organs.

• Tamagawa serves sushi and surfie videos
• Public picks its favourite Australian restaurants
• Five BYO restaurants to try

Fussy eaters, look away. Eating meat should be about consuming the whole carcass, not just the choice cuts.

Brookvale butcher Dave Head and Manly nutritionist Georgia Lienneman from Stirring Change are on a mission to convert us.

The pair are passionate about nose-to-tail eating and their goal is to encourage others to stop being squeamish, rediscover the lost art of loving offal and organ meats and stop mass food wastage.

Dave Head and Georgia Lienneman are passionate about nose-to-tail eating. Picture: Troy Snook

Australia exports its entrails. UN figures from 2011 put the nation as the fourth-largest exporter of edible innards; while exports of offal such as hearts, livers and tails has risen by 56 per cent in the past decade to more than 163,000 tonnes.

Organ meat is cheap and good for you. Liver is the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, however as its strong taste and texture are off-putting, Georgia Lienneman has hidden organ meat in several recipes.

Hearts and brains are the easiest ways to develop a taste for organ meat, Georgia Lienneman said.

“Heart is one of my ­favourites, It is more `hearty’ than beef and has more protein, it is high in coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant,” she said.

“Use it half-half in a bolognaise and you wouldn’t be able to taste it.”

Butcher Dave Head sells lambs’ brains and organ meat.

Lambs’ brains are a great source of omega 3 and can be disguised in an easy-to- make omelet or frittata.

“Making a lamb brain omelet is perfect for a beginner, once its blended in to the eggs with a little milk, you can’t taste it.”

If you’d like to give brains, offal and organ meat a go, Shiralee Meats has half beef-half heart organic mince for $19.99/kg and brains are $6 each.

Ali Marks and Beverley Hudec in the kitchen

ZOMBIE FRITTATA

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

5 eggs

1 lambs brain

1/4 cup milk (or a splash of water)

Big pinch of salt

Pepper to taste

1.5 tbsp ghee or butter

1 leek or 5 shallots

Optional: 2 cloves garlic, sliced

Optional: 3 rashes of bacon or prosciutto

Big handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

100g feta cheese, cubed

½ bunch of coriander (including stems), finely chopped

METHOD

1. Blend the eggs, brain, milk, salt and pepper together using a blender, then set aside.

2. In a medium frying pan on high heat, saute the leek in the ghee for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and bacon and stir for another 2 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and reduce to medium heat, saute for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan then reduce heat to low. Sprinkle the feta and coriander evenly across the top and allow the frittata to cook
on the stovetop for 5 minutes. Set your grill to low heat.

5. Transfer the pan to the grill and continue to cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

See the video of the Manly Daily staff cooking (and eating) the Zombie Frittata