Couch Culture Club - Australia
You beaut, it’s Australia week!
To commemorate 20 weeks of the Couch Culture Club we are featuring our favourite destination of all time, Australia! We think Australia is one of the best places in the world to call home and are ecstatic to take you on a true-blue Aussie immersion this week.
To say Australia doesn’t have a national dish isn’t entirely true, we think lamb is at the heart of many of our dinner tables and the perfect way to kick off your Aussie weekend at home. The smells of rosemary and garlic will be pouring out of your kitchen with this weeks delicious roast lamb recipe, perfectly topped off with your favourite gravy. Likewise we will quash your scepticism about if there truly is any Australian cocktails with the Green ‘n’ Gold Beer Punch. Round out the night by immersing yourself in the true story of Robyn Davidson with this weeks film Tracks. This film chronicles Robyn’s 2700 km solo trek from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean, accompanied only by her loyal dog (Aussie’s best friend). You beaut! It’s going to be a good night.
If you’re headed with us this week, we would love to see your photos you can send them to us on Facebook or via email
Classic Rosemary and Garlic Roast Lamb
INGREDIENTS
1.5 kg leg of lamb
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1k g potatoes, halved
2 cups frozen baby peas
20 grams salted butter
2 tablespoons shredded fresh mint
Gravy to serve
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut six slits, 2 cm deep and 2 cm long, into the lamb. Press one piece of garlic into each slit. Place the lamb in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle evenly with rosemary and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven For 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place the potato, in a single layer, around the lamb. Drizzle the remaining oil over the potato. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for a further 1 hour for medium or until cooked to your liking.
Meanwhile, cook peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Drain and return to pan. Add the butter and mint and toss to combine.
Transfer the lamb to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest. Turn potato and roast in oven for a further 10 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Make your gravy to your liking. Or your choice of sauce. Thickly slice the lamb across the grain. Serve with potato, peas and gravy.
Green ‘n’Gold Beer Punch
Some might ask, are there truly any Australian cocktails? Well we will take your scepticism and raise you the Green ‘n’gold beer punch. The true testament to our laid-back Aussie culture and the perfect accompaniment to a summer dinner.
What you’ll need
2 tbsp each of sugar and salt, for rimming glasses
30 ml dark rum
2 lemon segments
2 lime segments
60 ml lemonade
crushed ice
1 bottle bitter beer (lager is ideal)
1 mint sprig, to garnish
lemon and lime rounds, to garnish
How to make it
Place the sugar and salt on a small plate and rub a little citrus onto the rim of a beer glass. Dip the glass into the sugar and salt to frost the rim. Add the rum and citrus segments to the glass and muddle. Add the lemonade and crushed ice, then top with beer. Stir once, and garnish with a sprig of mint and rounds of lemon and lime.
Tracks
Immerse yourself in Australia’s incredible landscapes with this weeks film selection, Tracks. Based on the inspirational and iconic true story of Robyn Davidson’s solo trek from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean, accompanied only by her loyal dog. This film chronicles her 2700 km trek through the spectacular yet unforgiving Australian desert. You can watch this film for free on SBS on Demand by Clicking Here
