Summer ain’t over just yet, so make sure you make the most of it by getting out and grilling like you were born on Ramsey Street.
Australia is a land of great beauty, many dangerous animals and some of the best food and drink this planet has to offer. And while Tim Tams, Pavlova and Vegemite all have their charms, it is in the world of barbecuing that Australia really comes into their own.
Blessed with an abundance of great ingredients, and even better weather, Australians treat the barbecue like we do the kettle; it’s nearly always on.
As a result, they are the best people in the world to take guidance from when the sun does shine here and you get a chance to do a bit of al fresco (not a Home and Away character) dining yourself.
So, without further ado here are three great and easy barbecue dishes for you to try when the weather is sunny here in August, with a very tasty bottle of Australian wine to match.
Aussie Burgers
Okay, the basics here are the same as all burgers but the toppings make this an Aussie treat.
You can buy in ready-made burgers but making your own is even better. Just get a kilo of mince, with a decent amount of fat in it, and chop into it about two small red onions, a couple of cloves of garlic and a handful of parsley. Mix in a couple of egg yolks, a dash of either ketchup or Worcester sauce and shape into burgers. Job done.
Lash them on a really hot barbecue for a few minutes each side and then leave them to a cooler side of the grill to cook through thoroughly.
Now the fun bit. The more the better is the Aussie way when it comes to burgers so as well as the standard lettuce, cheese, mayo and tomato, make sure you layer in some beetroot, some pineapple and some bacon if you can. Even a fried egg is acceptable, and very Australian.
With all those various toppings you need a big wine to compliment the food, may we be completely brazen and suggest the Lindeman’s Bin 45 Cabernet Sauvignon or the Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz.
Barbecued shrimp
An Aussie institution, and simple to make. Before you throw them onto the flame, marinade your shrimp, or prawns, in a mixture of butter, oil, mixed herbs, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Leave the seafood in the mix for five hours and then they will be good to go.
Stick them on skewers and after two minutes each side on a hot grill, they should be delicious.
As for a tipple, a classic Australian white like, say, oh the Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay should be perfect here
Peppers, haloumi and basil parcels
One for the vegetarians now, and if we were Down Under we’d call these capsicum parcels. Simply lash the red peppers onto the hot grill and let them char away for about 15 minutes, turning to ensure they get burned evenly all over. Remove from the grill, scrape off the blackened skin and put to one side.
When cooler, slice the peppers into halves and into each half place a slice of haloumi, some basil leaves and, if you like, some olives. Put the other half of the pepper on top and tie together with string. Cook again for a few minutes on a lower heat until the cheese has melted.
A nice zesty Sauvignon Blanc, such as, we don’t know, the Lindeman’s Bin 95, will go down a treat with this.
Check out the Lindeman’s Facebook page to find out more about how 1,000 hours of sunshine makes every drop of Lindeman’s.
Enjoy Lindeman’s sensibly, visit DrinkAware.ie
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