Pondi Grilled on the Embers
A fillet of freshwater fish cooked directly on a bed of hardwood embers, Ngarrindjeri-style. The fish is simply seasoned with native salt and wrapped in moistened leaves for gentle steam-roasting. The flesh flakes into tender pieces infused with a light smoky aroma.
A fillet of freshwater fish cooked directly on a bed of hardwood embers, Ngarrindjeri-style. The fish is simply seasoned with native salt and wrapped in moistened leaves for gentle steam-roasting. The flesh flakes into tender pieces infused with a light smoky aroma.
You see, on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, we needed no stove to prepare a proper meal. My father preached the Scriptures, certainly, but he had never forgotten how to lay a bed of red gum embers to cradle a fine pondi. We let the wood burn down until the embers were white and even—that is the whole science of the thing, and believe me, I have studied many mechanisms, but that of the ember remains perfectly elegant. The fish wrapped in damp leaves cooked gently, and when you opened it, the flesh fell apart like the pages of a new book. It was our simplest and most complete meal.
- •Murray cod (pondi) whole or filleted — one fine fish, about 1 to 2 pounds (base)
- •Red gum leaves (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) — a generous handful (cooking wrap)
- •Native salt or fine ash — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Red gum hardwood — enough for a good bed of embers (fuel)
Pondi Grilled on the Embers
A fillet of freshwater fish cooked directly on a bed of hardwood embers, Ngarrindjeri-style. The fish is simply seasoned with native salt and wrapped in moistened leaves for gentle steam-roasting. The flesh flakes into tender pieces infused with a light smoky aroma.
Why this dish? The pondi (Murray cod) was the premier catch of the Murray River, at the heart of Ngarrindjeri country where Unaipon grew up at Raukkan. Fishing in the river was part of his daily life as a child on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, even before his scientific work. Fish cooked on the embers was the most fundamental meal of his community.
You see, on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, we needed no stove to prepare a proper meal. My father preached the Scriptures, certainly, but he had never forgotten how to lay a bed of red gum embers to cradle a fine pondi. We let the wood burn down until the embers were white and even—that is the whole science of the thing, and believe me, I have studied many mechanisms, but that of the ember remains perfectly elegant. The fish wrapped in damp leaves cooked gently, and when you opened it, the flesh fell apart like the pages of a new book. It was our simplest and most complete meal.
Ingredients (period version)
- Murray cod (pondi) whole or filleted — one fine fish, about 1 to 2 pounds (base)
- Red gum leaves (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) — a generous handful (cooking wrap)
- Native salt or fine ash — a pinch (seasoning)
- Red gum hardwood — enough for a good bed of embers (fuel)
Ingredients
- Perch, barramundi, or trout fillets — 600 g (2 thick fillets) (base)
- Banana leaves or baking paper — 2 large leaves (cooking wrap)
- Fine salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
- Olive oil — 1 tbsp (to prevent sticking)
- Lemon — 1, cut into wedges (accompaniment)
- Smoking wood chips (hickory or similar) — 1 handful, optional for barbecue (smoky flavor)
Method
- If using a charcoal barbecue, light it and let the embers turn white (no live flames). For an oven, preheat to 200 °C.
- Season the fish fillets with salt on both sides and lightly oil them.
- Briefly pass the banana leaves over a flame or under hot water to soften them. Place a fillet in the center of each leaf.
- Fold the leaf to form a sealed parcel. Tie with kitchen twine if necessary.
- On the barbecue: place the parcels directly on the grill over the embers, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes. In the oven: bake on a tray for 15–18 minutes.
- Carefully open the parcel—the flesh should be opaque and flake easily. Serve with lemon wedges.
How it was made : The Ngarrindjeri cooked pondi (Murray cod, *Maccullochella peelii*) directly in the embers, sometimes simply placed on hot ash, sometimes wrapped in eucalyptus leaves or covered with a layer of moist clay. The fish was cooked whole, with skin and bones, and shared collectively. This technique required no utensils and made the most of the red gum wood abundant along the Murray.
The contemporary twist : Serve the fillet on a bed of roasted sweet potato mash with a drizzle of macadamia oil and a few warrigal greens (New Zealand spinach) leaves, as a nod to native Australian ingredients.
Sources : Philip Clarke, « Aboriginal People and Their Plants », Rosenberg Publishing, 2007 · Diane Bell, « Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin: A World That Is, Was and Will Be », Spinifex Press, 1998 · Philip Jones, « Unaipon, David (1872–1967) », Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 12, 1990
David Unaipon · Charactorium
