Australian lamb is some of the best in the world. The meat also taps into the rich tapestry of cultures that have blended to make for the country’s consistently inventive and exciting food scene, so it’s little surprise that lamb is often seen, and used, as one of the ideal inclusions in any social feast. Seeing as it’s spring, the time when said social feasts usually take to breezy Australian outdoors, we thought we’d source a few recipes from Australian Lamb to help you prep a few simple winners.
Butterflied Lamb with Quinoa Tabouli
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 2 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 butterflied leg of lamb, trimmed
Lamb Marinade
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp ground coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp rosemary leaves
- 10 dates, pitted
- 50g butter
Quinoa Tabouli
- 300g quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup mint, roughly chopped and several leaves reserved
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 shallots, sliced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and cracked black pepper
- Minted Yoghurt
- Remaining mint leaves, finely chopped
- 100g Greek yoghurt
Notes
- A butterflied shoulder is a great alternative to a the leg
- Remember to carve across the grain for the most tender result
Method
1. Mix the cumin, coriander, rosemary, dates and butter in a food processor. Spread evenly over the butterflied leg and roast in a preheated oven at 160 ̊C for 2 hours.
2. Cook quinoa as per packet instructions. Cool to room temperature then fold through the garlic, tomato, mint, parsley, shallots, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Mix together mint and yogurt, slice rested lamb and serve on top of quinoa tabouli. Drizzle with minted yogurt.
Lamb & Feta Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 600g lamb mince
- 1 tsp salt
- 200g feta, cut into thin slices
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp mint, finely chopped
- 1 sweet potato
- 4 burger buns (brioche or something similar)
- Onion and cucumber pickle
- 2 red onions, sliced thinly
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, shaved into ribbons
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Notes
- 1. When preparing the burger patty it’s important to not squash the mince mixture into a flattened disc. Make your patties about 2-3cm thick; at this size and shape the burger will cook through to the middle without becoming dry on the outside Remove your patties from the fridge 10-15 minutes before cooking to ensure they cook evenly
Method
1. Place the lamb mince in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Form into 4 x 150g burger shaped patties.
2. Combine the yoghurt and mint in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. To make the onion and cucumber pickle, whisk the vinegar, sugar and salt with 1 cup of water in a small bowl until dissolved. Add onion and cucumber and let sit until assembling the burger.
4. To cook the lamb, rub each patty with a little oil and place on a moderately hot barbecue or frying pan, flipping regularly until cooked all the way through.
5. To make the sweet potato chips, wash the sweet potatoes and slice thinly using a mandolin or sharp knife as fine as possible. Shallow fry in a fry pan at high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towel and season with salt.
Images and recipes supplied.
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