1. Preheat a ridged grill plate or a barbecue to medium.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, take a strip of skin off both sides of each zucchini so they will lie flat. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook on the grill, turning occasionally, until just tender but not totally soft when pierced with a skewer, and lightly charred on the outside. Set aside to cool.
4. To serve: Cut down the centre of each zucchini to split open a little. Place on a serving plate, top with dollops of tzatziki and kasundi and sprinkle with dukkah. Garnish with mint leaves.
Cook's note: Kasundi is a tomato-based Indian spiced relish and can be found in the condiment aisle at good food stores and supermarkets.
Beer can chicken with white barbecue sauce
Serves 6
A pretty hilarious way of cooking a chicken using a partially filled can of beer that is placed in the chicken's cavity prior to cooking. It results in juicy, tender meat with a deeply golden skin.
Spice rub
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp each ground cumin, smoked paprika, English mustard powder and sea salt
4 tsp olive oil
To cook
1.3kg whole chicken
1 can beer
2 whole peeled cloves garlic, lightly smashed
1 sprig herbs, e.g., thyme or rosemary
White barbecue sauce
¾ cup good-quality egg mayonnaise
2 Tbsp malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp each runny honey, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp hot mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1. To make the spice rub: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To cook: Pat the chicken dry with kitchen towels. Rub the cavity with some of the spice rub, then spread the remaining rub all over the skin of the chicken.
3. Drink or pour out a third of the beer, then push the garlic and herbs into the can. Lower the chicken on to the can so it's sitting upright with the can in the cavity. Place in a shallow heatproof dish and pour in enough water to cover the base of the dish. Place the dish on the barbecue and lower the lid. Cook over a medium heat for about 1¼ hours, or until fully cooked, periodically adding more water to the dish so it doesn't dry out.
4. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the heat. Leave the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from the can.
5. To make the white barbecue sauce: Whisk everything together in bowl until smooth.
6. To serve: Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with the White Barbecue Sauce.
Avocado, broad bean and goat's cheese salad
Serves 8
The great thing about this salad is the addition of both salty feta and milky mozzarella to contrast with the peppery watercress, fresh herbs and sweet peas and beans. The final touch is a sprinkling of chilli and dukkah for heat and texture.
2 cups broad beans
1 cup frozen peas
Few sprigs mint
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp caster sugar
Sea salt and ground pepper
6 cups baby watercress or other salad greens
2 large avocados, sliced
350g buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
200g feta, crumbled
¾ cup fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp roughly chopped dill
Chilli flakes and purchased dukkah, for sprinkling over
1. Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and fill a bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes. Drop the broad beans into the boiling water and cook just until the water comes back up to the boil. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and put them straight into the chilled water. Drop the peas into the same boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Gently pop the beans from their pods and add to the peas along with a few sprigs of mint (remove before serving) and refrigerate both in a covered container, if preparing ahead.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
4. To serve: Layer the watercress onto a platter, followed by the avocado, mozzarella, beans and peas, feta, mint leaves and dill. Drizzle with the lemon dressing and sprinkle with chilli flakes and dukkah.
Kiwi lamb burgers
Makes 4 burgers
This is a mega burger so be prepared to squish it down, tuck in and get messy.
Burgers
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, crushed
800g lamb mince
1 small onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Small handful parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper
To cook and assemble
Oil, for cooking
4 burger buns, halved, toasted and buttered
6 slices cheddar
4 large eggs, fried
Sliced tomatoes, beetroot and lettuce
Good-quality egg mayonnaise, mustard or chutney, and pickles
1. Line a baking tray. Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
2. To make the burgers: Stir the breadcrumbs, egg and garlic together in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and combine well, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties, slightly larger than the buns as they will shrink with cooking.
3. To cook: Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or on a barbecue hot plate on medium and cook the patties for about 4 minutes each side, or until fully cooked through.
4. Place the bottom half of the burger buns on a baking tray and top each
one with 1½ slices of cheese. Grill
until melted.
5. To assemble: Top the cheesy burger bun with lettuce, then layer up with the beetroot, lamb patties, tomato, condiments, eggs and the top bun.
Spiced pumpkin cheesecake tart with walnut praline
Serves 10
This is a perfectly spiced semi-classic.
Pastry
100g cold butter, chopped
¼ cup icing sugar
1¼ cups plain flour
1 large egg yolk
½-1 Tbsp iced water
Filling
600g peeled, deseeded pumpkin, cut into 6cm chunks
3 Tbsp maple syrup
500g cream cheese, at room temperature
1¼ cups caster sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp each ground nutmeg, ground cloves and ground allspice
2 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp custard powder
3 large eggs
Softly whipped cream, to serve
Walnut praline (makes enough for 1 tart, plus extra to snack on)
⅔ cup caster sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 cup walnut halves
1. To make the walnut praline: Put the caster sugar and water together in a pan and whisk to start the sugar dissolving. Cook, without stirring, over a medium heat until the mixture has crystallised, then turned a transparent light golden colour. As soon as you have an amber liquid, add the walnuts, swirl to coat, then pour them on to your lined oven tray, making loose patterns if desired. Leave to set, then smash into chunks with the end of a rolling pin or use in whole pieces.
2. Grease a deep 25cm loose-based tart tin. Line a roasting dish and a square-lipped oven tray with baking paper.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C regular bake.
4. To make the pastry: Whizz the butter, icing sugar and flour in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and ½ tablespoon water. Pulse until it forms large clumps, adding the remaining water only if necessary. Tip out onto a clean bench and pat into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
5. To make the filling: Place the pumpkin in the roasting dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup, then cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender. Cool.
6. Roll out the chilled pastry out to a circle slightly larger than the tart tin. Press into the tin, patch up any tears and trim the edges. Prick the base with a fork and pop in the freezer for 5 minutes. Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking weights or rice and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whizz the cooled pumpkin, remaining maple syrup, cream cheese, sugar, spices, salt and custard powder in a food processor until smooth. Add the eggs and pulse briefly to combine, then pour into the pastry case. Tap the tin on the bench to pop any air bubbles, then bake for 35-40 minutes, or until there is just a slight wobble in the middle. Cool completely on the bench, then place in the fridge to chill.
7. To serve: Serve the tart topped with the Walnut praline, alongside plenty of softly whipped cream.
Dish Summer by Sarah Tuck and Claire Aldous, SCG Media, RRP $45
