Recipe: Aussie Beer Batter Fish, Traditional Aussie Lamb, Apricot Chicken for Tijntje

Aussie Beer Batter Fish

4 fish fillets
cornflour
2 cups plain flour
salt and pepper
310ml (10 1/2 fl oz) beer
oil for deep-frying

Dust fish fillets with cornflour. Mix flour, salt and pepper, add beer gradually, stirring well until smooth. Dip the fish fillets into batter. Cook in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce and hot chips (potatoes).
Serves 4

Traditional Aussie Lamb

2 kg (4 lb) leg of lamb
2 cloves garlic, chopped
fresh rosemary sprigs
2 tablespoons oil
salt, pepper

4 large potatoes
8 pieces of pumpkin
2 leeks, cut in half
4 bacon rashers, crisply fried
60 g (2 oz) butter
3 tablespoons oil
salt, thyme

2 tablespoons plain flour
2 1/4 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Cut small slits all over the skin of the leg of lamb. Insert garlic pieces and rosemary sprigs. Brush lamb with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fill a baking dish halfway with water and place a wire rack on top and then put the lamb on the dish. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours or until cooked as desired, basting often with the pan juices.

Peel potatoes, cut in half and score them with a fork. Combine butter, oil, salt and thyme. Toss potatoes in the mixture. Take potatoes out and keep mixture for later. Place potatoes around the leg of lamb after the lamb has been cooking for about 40 minutes. Roast for 50 minutes, brushing halfway through with a little of the butter mixture.

Toss pumpkin pieces in the mixture and place next to the roast after it has been cooking for 50 minutes. Wrap 1 bacon rasher around each half of leek. Place leeks next to pumpkins after roast has been baking for 70 minutes. When everything is done, take the rack off the baking dish and place the rack on an oven proof tray. Return to oven to keep warm.

To make gravy, place the baking dish with the juices from the meat on the stove top. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the juices. Heat the dish, stir in the flour and cook until brown. Gradually add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and wine. Stir until the mixture boils and thickens, then simmer for 2 minutes.

Slice the meat and arrange everything on plates. Pour the gravy over the meat.

Serves 4

Apricot Chicken

60g (2oz) butter
2 chicken breasts, cut in half
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon cornflour
460g (16oz ) apricot nectar
130g (4 1/2 oz) dried apricots, quartered
1 green capsicum, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
salt, pepper

Melt butter in pan, add chicken, cook until well browned on both sides, remove from pan. Add onions to the same pan, cook, stirring until soft.

Blend cornflour and apricot nectar, add to pan, stir until sauce boils. Reduce heat, season with salt and pepper, add dried apricots. Return chicken to pan, cover, simmer until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the capsicum and cook for 5 minutes, turn heat down, stir in sour cream. Serves 4