Whew. I have been baking and pilfering in the kitchen so much lately I nearly forgot that today is the day to post MKMW results for Australia! Sorry folks, I don’t have great photos of the entire process of my dinner (like elra does with her Australian Meat Pies – delish!) but maybe you will find some inspiration here anyway.
From the get-go, I immediatel thought “Shrimps on the Barbie”…I mean, hello? It’s Australia. But I wanted it to be more than just that. So I set out on the web to find an authentic marinade for these BBQ’d shrimp. Luckily, I found a great sounding (and great tasting!) version on recipezaar. However, being out of lemons (eeek!) I did substitute Orange. So good.The marinade really does flavor the shrimp, which as you probably know is difficult to do if only using a marinade and not a rub on top of that. But it does and the flavor is a little citrusy, a little mild spice – and a lot YUM.
I also found a great recipe for Australian Bread, called Damper. This is a bread made popular by cowboys in the Outback, who have no yeast and a campfire. Typically made in a Cast Iron Camp Oven over an open fire, it can just as easily be made in your own oven in a regular pan. I made a small loaf in a standard bread pan. While this was very tasty, I did make a mistake…the recipe called for Self Rising Flour and I used All Purpose. No biggie, really, it just made it a little doughier. The flavor was so nice though that it really didn’t matter. Even Jon liked it. Next time (and there will be a next time because it comes together so easily!) I will be more cautious and use the proper flour.
So, there you have it: MKMW Australia featuring Shrimps on the Barbie, Australian Cheese, Garlic and Chive Damper, Herbed Rice and Sugar Snap Peas. Enjoy, Mates!
Australian Marinated Shrimp
(adapted from recipezaar)
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh herb, parsley and thyme
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped dried onion
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, jumbo, peeled and deveined
Comine all ingredients and store in refridgerator for 3 hours (or more). Grill in metal grill bowl (that’s what we did) or on skewers. Remember, if using pre-cooked shrimp, you do not need to leave these on the grill for long, just to warm them. Otherwise, if using uncooked shrimp, remove from grill when pink.
Australian Cheese, Garlic and Chive Damper
(from recipezaar)
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce butter, in small pieces
1 cup sharp (grated)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl. Using fingers rub in the chopped butter until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs. Add cheeses,garlic and chives. Mix well.
3. Combine milk and water. Make a well in flour and pour in all of the liquid, reserving a little for glaze. Mix quickly into a soft dough, using a knife or the hands.
4. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly. Press into a round. Place onto a greased baking tray. Glaze with leftover milk and water mixture and sprinkle with extra cheese.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes in 425°F oven, and serve sliced with butter or olive oil.
Individual dampers can also be shaped and baked for the same time and temperature.
