While kangaroo meat is now a familiar item on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, wallaby is a rarer beast. Richard Gunner, whose Something Wild shop at Adelaide Central Market has recently started selling the meat, shares some ideas for cooking wallaby at home.

Where and how do you source wallaby meat?

We source the wallaby from Flinders Island in Tasmania; they roam wild all across the area. Qualified hunters are hired and no stress is caused to the animal.

 How does the flavour and texture of wallaby meat differ from kangaroo?

The flavour of the wallaby is quite unique. It lacks the “gamey” taste of kangaroo, which customers find very appealing, and the texture is also much finer. It’s almost similar to veal.

 What can buyers expect to pay for wallaby meat?

The price of wallaby meat varies with each particular cut, but it is not that much more than kangaroo – only about 25 per cent more. For instance, boneless wallaby steaks retail for $17.99kg.

How would you prepare and cook it? Do you have a favourite wallaby dish?

Cooking wallaby is very similar to cooking any meat dish.. The main tip is to not over-cook it, as it can turn tough and flavourless, and it must be served hot. Wallaby shanks make a perfect stew and the steaks are fantastic lightly marinated and grilled on the barbecue.

Something Wild also stocks emu, camel and crocodile – can you offer tips for cooking these?

Emu has a similar taste to turkey leg meat and the fillet is just beautiful on the barbecue with a plum marinade. Cook medium-rare. Camel is much better as a slow-cooking meat and perfect for a slow-cooked casserole. Crocodile is very versatile and can be used as a substitute for chicken or Fish. If overcooked. it can turn quite tough, but when cooked to a perfect medium it’s a lovely meat.

You’ll find recipes for all these meats on the Something Wild website.