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Aussie Barbie with Robin

We have worked with Marcia Selden Catering for years and can’t say enough great things about them! What a perfect way to showcase their creativity and stunning menus than to give them a challenge….create a beautiful, unexpected Australian Barbie (BBQ) for our readers. Wow, they certainly rose to this challenge and then some! Take a look at this mouthwatering menu….

Simple and clean, with a distinct nod in the direction of their Asian influences are all words that describe the Australian BBQ culture. While many people assume Aussies only BBQ shrimp, they’d be sorely mistaken. BBQ’ing in Australia means much more than throwing food on a grill, it’s an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while spending quality time with friends.

Keep things cool with a refreshing pitcher of Aussie Golden Wattle. Yummmm!

— Moshé Aelyon, Interior Designer, Event Producer based in Westport, CT

 


 

wattle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aussie Golden Wattle

1x Rum
1 x Aperol
3 Shakes Bitters
1x St. Germain
1.5x Pineapple
Topped with Your Favorite Aussie Beer

Put the rum, Aperol, pineapple juice, elderflower liqueur and bitters in a shaker with ice.
Shake hard for 30 seconds.
Pour into a half pint mug.
Drop in four or five ice cubes.
Top up with Aussie Ale.


 

devilled-eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devilled Eggs with Wasabi Avocado Mash

Devilled eggs continue to be on trend and the filling offers a fun kick of flavor and color that your guests will love!

12 hard-boiled eggs
¼ C. mayonnaise
2-3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. wasabi paste
¼ tsp. salt
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro leaves
1 Tbs. furikake (a Japanese condiment, available at Amazon or our favorite Japanese market in Greenwich, Fuji Mart)
1 ripe avocado, diced

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and mash in large bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, lime juice, wasabi paste, salt, scallion and cilantro and stir with fork until smooth. Mash in avocado and furikake. Spoon mixture into whites, and garnish with a sprinkling of furikake before serving. Can be made 2 hours in advance and kept covered and refrigerated.


 

Grilled Lobster Tails with Roasted Tomato Relish over Cucumber Jicama Salad

This light refreshing salad is the perfect way to kick off your Aussie Q!

*serve with a chilled Australian white wine for the first course.

½ lobster tail per person
8 tsp. salted butter
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
2 C. cherry tomatoes, multi-colored if you can find them
1 C. purple onion, sliced into rounds for grilling
2 C. grated jicama
2 C. grated English cucumber
¼ C. rice wine vinegar
½ C. good quality olive oil
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Toss grated jicama and cucumber in a bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

Cut lobster tails in half all the way through. Heat grill to medium and melt butter and garlic in a small pot. Make a brush using a bunch of flat leaf parsley wrapped with kitchen twine. Toss tomatoes and onion slices with olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Carefully place on the grill, or use a grill basket if needed. Brush lobster tails generously with butter and add tails meat side down to grill. Turn after 2 minutes and continue cooking shell side down for another 5 minutes, brushing with melted butter often. Turn tomatoes and onions as needed until they are charred on all sides. Remove from grill and roughly chop, adding in a small handful of chopped parsley from the butter brush. Toss grated jicama and cucumber in rice wine vinegar, olive oil and cayenne. This can sit for at least an hour. Make a small mound of salad, add a lobster tail atop the salad and a spoonful of tomato relish before serving.


 

asian-lamb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asian Lamb over Charred Scallions and Grilled Pineapple Rice

The complex flavors of the Asian marinade pair perfectly with the lamb, while the pineapple rice adds a fruity tangy note.

2 Tbs. dark sesame oil
3 Tbs. hoisin sauce
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. Gochujang (Korean spice, available at Amazon or Fuji Mart)
2 Tbs. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Rack of Australian Lamb

Whisk first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to large Ziploc plastic bag. Add lamb; seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill lamb for approximately 5 minutes per side until slightly charred and cooked to medium rare. Let lamb rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

For rice:
1 C. fresh pineapple cored and sliced into rounds
5 scallions
1 tbs. olive oil
2 C. basmati rice
2 ½ C. chicken stock
1 Tbs. salted butter

Rinse rice in cool running water until water runs clear. Add rice, stock and butter to a pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. While the rice cooks, brush pineapple and scallions with olive oil and grill pineapple and scallions until grill marks appear on both sides. Cut into small pieces and toss into rice before serving.


 

lambingtons

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lamingtons with Toasted Macadamia Nuts and Crushed Speculoous

An Aussie classic with a decidedly creative twist.

1 loaf pound cake or sponge cake, cut into 3” cubes
4 C. dark chocolate, melted
2 C. speculoos cookies (available at Trader Joe’s or on Amazon, (also called Biscoff cookies)
1 C. roasted macadamia nuts

Add speculoos cookies to a Cuisinart and pulse until crumbly. Remove and add to a bowl. Pulse the macadamia nuts until crushed and add to the speculoos. Mix well and pour onto a shallow bowl or plate.

Set a baking rack over parchment paper to catch any drips. Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. Using a fork or skewer, dip pound cake cubes until completely covered, then roll in speculoos macadamia nut mixture and let cool completely before serving.
LOVED PLAYING WITH ROBIN & TEAM!

G’day enjoy the day!

Photo Credit: Moshé Aelyon