By Leigh O’Connor.
It’s Christmas Day and scorching hot…who wants to slave around a sweltering kitchen when the barbeque awaits alfresco ready to serve up a celebratory lunch in style.
These days there’s practically nothing you can't cook or heat up on the barbeque, from seafood to beef, whole fish and much more.
We’ve put together three recipes you can cook on the grill for a festive lunch to remember come December 25:
Embark on an exploration of the richness of the ocean through a creative Mediterranean-inspired menu at Chef-hatted The Darwin Club on The Esplanade overlooking the leafy grounds of Admiralty House in Darwin.
From locally caught pan-fried fillets of fish to an extensive shellfish platter, be prepared for a seafood experience yet unseen in the Northern Territory. Who better to ask for a seafood starter recipe sure to delight than Head Chef Michael Foster?
This very easy dish of BBQ Tiger prawns is sure to impress family and friends with fresh flavours and textures – make sure to deshell and devein the prawns first, leaving on the head and tail. Lightly season the prawns with salt and oil, then grill on the barbeque to achieve nice char marks on each side.
Serve the prawns in a deep bowl, facing the same way, with a generous amount of butter, caper, lemon, parsley, chive and finger lime sauce, garnished with fresh herbs and a slice of lemon.
Quality ingredients, cooked to perfection – that’s the simple mantra that sums up everything on the menu at Elements Bar and Grill on Ramsay Street in Haberfield. Steak is the specialty featuring the choicest cuts, sizzled and seared to a succulent sensation, with your choice of sides.
Serving up deliciously tender 72-hour beef short rib as a Christmas lunch showpiece, this recipe takes a bit longer to prepare but is worth the effort. The beef is sous vide for three days, before being finished on a hot char grill or in the oven; serve with sides such as a garden or potato salad, coleslaw and sauces of choice.
Nothing beats a hearty feed after a long day surfing at the beach – pro big wave surfer Kerby Brown can vouch for that. In 2021, this West Australian ocean daredevil released a 90-minute documentary Facing Monsters, offering a rare insight into his life and the waves he has faced.
It also discusses Kerby’s battles with addiction, mental health, the healing power of the ocean and the enduring love of family.
This festive season in association with Traeger Grills, who he is an ambassador for, Kerby surfs the wave of barbeque fun with a whole fish recipe, stuffed with red and green chilli, lemongrass, dill, parsley and garlic.
Sides of blistered cherry tomatoes and broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese make this dish a definite winner; along with housemade tartar sauce, made with whole egg mayo, capers, Dijon mustard and dill.
For more thrills on the grill inspiration, click here.
