Australian Lamb and George Calombaris .DisasterChef'
Australian Lamb and George Calombaris -DisasterChef'
Think we're a nation of highly skilled foodies? Think again! New research by Australian Lamb to launch DisasterChef reveals that more than 4 million Aussies (22%) consider themselves to be a complete disaster in the kitchen and almost half (42%) have experienced at least one culinary calamity.
These self-proclaimed catastrophic cooks are burning meals (23%), miscalculating the time they need to prepare and cook (19%) and following recipes without success (16%), resulting in inedible meals and general dining disasters.
In light of these findings, Australian Lamb and chef George Calombaris are on a mission to find the nation's worst cooks and rescue them with cooking advice and simple, delicious lamb recipes.
Calombaris says, 'We all know a DisasterChef – we often avoid eating their food, which I think is a shame as sharing a delicious meal with friends and family is one of life's simplest but greatest pleasures.
'So we're helping the nation's kitchen tragics with cooking tips and recipes, showing them just how easy it is to cook delicious meals using Australian lamb. And we're not stopping there – I'll be giving the nation's worst DisasterChef a private lamb masterclass, which they'll then serve up for their friends and family.
The generational gap
The DisasterChef research also shows a clear but unfortunate decline in culinary abilities through the ages. Close to 20% of Gen Y citizens are ashamed or embarrassed of their cooking compared to only 6% of Baby Boomers, and twice as many have had a kitchen disaster (3.149 million) compared to their older counterparts (1.605 million)
If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen
The pressure to perform is getting to these disaster-riddled Aussies, with 80% finding the act of cooking for friends and family stressful. And it's women who are feeling the most heat in the kitchen. Not only do they experience more culinary tragedies (47% vs. 37%), the pressure of living up to people's expectations haunts women significantly more than men (62% vs. 47%).
The situation is not being helped by popular culture, with close to two thirds of Aussies (61%) agreeing that reality TV cooking shows have raised the bar for what people expect to be served at dinner.
Commenting further, Calombaris says, 'Yes, I'm a professional chef, but whenever I'm looking to serve a simple yet impressive meal, I turn to lamb. It's versatility means I can quickly whip up anything from a classic roast to contemporary lamb burgers and hearty salads.
'I know we have a big job on our hands, but I'm confident that with my lamb recipes and cooking secrets, Australia's DisasterChef will impress their friends and family when they all get together at the dinner table
Think you or someone you know is a DisasterChef? Then enter to be in with a chance for a one-on-one lamb masterclass with George Calombaris himself. It's so simple, just head to facebook.com/weloveourlamb and share your DisasterChef moment. Whilst there, look out for deliciously simple lamb cooking tips from the man himself.
Bunless Lamb Burger With Vegetable Relish And Sweet Potato Chips
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
600g lamb mince
1 tsp table salt
4 large field mushrooms
4 sprigs thyme
10 roma tomatoes, diced
1 eggplant, diced
3 red onions
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp flaked salt
1 sweet potato
Mediterranean coleslaw (shredded red cabbage, shaved fresh fennel and fresh dill with a honey balsamic dressing) to serve Oil for frying
1. Place the lamb mince in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Form in 150g burger shaped patties.
2. To make the relish, dice the onions and sweat off with the diced Roma tomatoes and eggplant. Add salt, vinegar and sugar and cook down until reduced and thick. Set aside the thick liquid.
3. To roast the mushrooms, remove the stem and season with salt, thyme and olive oil and roast at 200°C for 7 minutes on baking paper. Set aside the mushrooms.
4. 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.
5. To cook the burgers, rub each one with a little oil and place them on the barbecue or a really hot frying pan, and flip them every 15–20 seconds. Cook the burgers all the way through. Immediately after the last flip, place some relish followed by a mushroom on top of each burger and allow them to warm through.
6. Serve on a plate, with the sweet potato chips and coleslaw.
Lamb Cutlets With Chargrilled Beans, Onions, Capers And Hazelnuts
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
8 lamb cutlets, trimmed
20 green beans
2 red onions
4 tsp baby capers
1/4 bunch chives
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts (crushed or chopped)
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
1. Begin by soaking the beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, place the beans in a bowl of iced water for 1 minute. Remove the beans and place them on paper towel to dry.
2. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan on a medium heat and warm. Turn the heat off and let the oil cool slightly. Add capers, toasted hazelnuts and lemon juice to the oil and set aside.
3. Heat a chargrill to high. Season the lamb cutlets and cook for 3 minutes each side. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
4. Cut the onion in 8 pieces leaving the core attached and char grill on a high heat until it is well charred and cooked through.
5. Chargrill the beans 1 minute each side until nicely coloured.
6. To finish, finely chop the herbs and add them to the oil, capers, hazelnut dressing. Place the beans on the plate, then the charred onion and the cutlets on top and dress with olive oil dressing.
Lamb Kalamaki With Dill Sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
Lamb kalamaki
500g lamb leg steaks
1 tbsp. flaked salt
1 brown onion
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp lemon juice
Wooden skewers
Dill sauce
1 bunch dill
1/3 cup slivered or roughly chopped smoked almonds
½ red chilli
¾ olive oil
¼ red onion
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. sea salt
Mesclun leaves and Tzatziki, to serve
Method
1. Begin by placing the onion, garlic, oregano, salt and lemon juice in a blender and blend until a fine paste is formed.
2. Dice the lamb leg steaks, place in a bowl and cover with the paste. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in the fridge to marinade for 4 hours.
3. Place 100g of meat on skewers and set aside.
4. To make the dill sauce, place the dill, onion, lemon juice, garlic, chilli, and salt in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add the almonds and pulse.
5. Pour the sauce into a bowl and add olive oil. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt and pepper, if required.
6. Heat a chargrill to high. Cook the lamb skewers on the chargrill for 2 minutes on either side.
7. Cover the lamb skewers loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Dress the lamb with the dill sauce. Serve with a small mesclun salad with Tzatziki
Lamb Loin Chops With A Cypriot Grain Salad
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
8 lamb loin chops
1/2 cup canned lentils
1 bunch coriander, shredded
1/2 bunch parsley, shredded
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp currants
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive
1/4 cup Greek yoghurt
Seeds of 2 pomegranates
Sea salt to taste
Method
1. In a medium sized bowl place the coriander, parsley, red onion, lentils, toasted nuts, capers, currants, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Mix well, season to taste.
2. Season the lamb loin chops with salt and pepper, and cook them in an oiled pan on high heat for 3 minutes either side.
3. Place the salad onto a serving dish and top with the Greek yoghurt and pomegranates. Serve the lamb loin chops alongside the salad.
Crumbed Lamb Rump With Walnut Dressing And Steamed Cauliflower And Broccoli
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1kg lamb rump, trimmed
1/2 cup macadamias
3 tbsp. Greek feta
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/4 bunch thyme
Walnut dressing
1/2 cup Walnuts toasted
1/2 cup Blended vegetable oil such as soy and canola oil
1 tsp. Flaked salt
A pinch of white pepper
1/8 Bunches washed parsley
1/8 Bunches washed coriander
1 tbsp. Honey
1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Steamed cauliflower and broccoli, to serve
Method
1. Begin by placing the thyme, macadamias, breadcrumbs, and feta into a blender and blend until even consistency is achieved.
2. Coat the lamb rump well and place into a medium heated pan for 3 minutes each side being careful not to burn the mixture. Place on a tray and roast at 150°C for 5 mins. Remove and rest.
3. To toast walnuts, spread them evenly on trays for 14 minutes at 170°C. While they're hot, pour into a bowl and cover with approximately half of the oil. Blitz gently in a blender so to keep the pieces of walnut still large. Empty into a bowl. In the same container blend together rest of the ingredients including the remaining oil until it reaches a fine consistency. Once the walnuts have cooled, add the two mixtures together. Taste and adjust.
4. To finish, carve the lamb rump steak and dress with the walnut dressing.
5. Serve with steamed cauliflower and broccoli
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