We all love to celebrate Australia day with family and friends. Lamb is a firm staple on Australia Day and this lamb recipe is super easy for the Barbie whether you cook it at home, the park or down on the beach.
Lemon, Mint and Oregano Lamb
- 12 lamb mid-loin chops,
- tzatziki dip, to serve
Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon each of fresh oregano and mint
Combine oil, garlic, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, oregano and mint in a dish.
Add lamb to
marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or if you have
time, overnight.
Preheat bbq plate on medium-high heat. Remove lamb from marinade. Barbecue lamb,
basting with marinade, for 6 to 8 minutes on each side for medium or until
cooked to your liking. Remove to a plate. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve lamb chops with tzatziki, green salad and potato salad.
To finish off the day, my favourite....
Giant Pavlova with Berries and Salted Caramel
The idea is to put this in the centre of the table and give everyone a spoon to dig in. This is a recipe from Valli Little’s "Love to Cook" cookbook and an awesome dessert for Australia Day. If you are planning a picnic ensure that you make the pavlova to fit into a container etc and most importantly … have plenty of spoons for everyone.
- 6 eggwhites
- 350g caster sugar
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs cornflour, sifted
- 1/3 cup (50g) icing sugar, sifted
- 600ml thickened cream
- 500g mixed berries
Salted caramel
- 2 1/2 cups (550g) caster sugar
- 300ml thickened cream (at room temperature)
- 1/2-1 tsp sea salt flakes, to taste
Preheat oven to
150ºC. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Place eggwhite
in the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 3-4
minutes to soft peaks. Add caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each
to be beaten well, whisking until mixture is
glossy.
Reduce speed to
low, then add balsamic, cornflour and icing sugar and continue beating to combine. Spread
mixture over the baking paper in a round or oblong shape, making a slight
indent in the centre.
Reduce oven to
130ºC and bake meringue for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave meringue in the
oven, with the door ajar, for 1-2 hours until cooled completely. Remove from
oven and place on a platter or serving board.
Meanwhile, for
the salted caramel, combine sugar with 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over
low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook,
without stirring, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a damp
pastry brush, for 8-10 minutes until a golden caramel forms. Remove from heat and
pour in cream (be careful, as mixture will bubble, then seize).
Return pan to low heat, add salt to taste and cook,
stirring, for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
To serve, whisk cream to soft peaks, then spread over meringue. Scatter over berries and drizzle with salted caramel.
Enjoy and
happy Australia Day x