Preparation time
10 minutes + 5-10 minutes resting
Cooking time
20 minutes
Serves
4
Lyndey Milan's Corn and Quinoa Salad with BBQ Lamb is a great recipe for family barbeques or a mid-week dinner. For a perfect wine pairing, choose a Rosé or a juicy mid-weight red - Grenache, Pinot and Nero d’Avola are great choices!
Ingredients
1 cup (200g) tri-colour quinoa
2 tablespoons (40ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large or 3 small cobs polkadot corn
250g baby tomato medley
2 x 200g lamb backstrap
2 limes, halved
2 eschalots, thinly sliced
3 Lebanese cucumbers, quartered and diced
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
100g marinated fetta, crumbled
Chilli lime dressing
Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lime
2 tablespoons (40ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste)
Recipe by Lyndey Milan
Photography by John Paul Urizar
Styling by Michaela Le Compte
Food prep by Wendy Taplin
Method
1. Preheat BBQ to medium-high.
2. Rinse quinoa well under cold running water and drain. Heat 2 teaspoons (10ml) oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and cook, stirring constantly to toast for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook two minutes more. Add 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat (do not lift lid) and stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. If any liquid remains or quinoa is still a bit crunchy, return the pot to low heat and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed. Place in a shallow bowl or tray to cool.
3. Meanwhile brush corn cobs with 2 teaspoons oil, season to taste and cook on BBQ, turning regularly until charred and tender (10–15 minutes). Slice kernels off the cobs, place in a bowl. Also drizzle tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and cook on the BBQ plate until warm and collapsing. Cool.
4. Trim lamb of any silver skin, drizzle with remaining oil and season to taste. Cook on the BBQ grill over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes each side, or as cooked to your liking. Also cook lime halves, cut side down until charred and juicy. Remove to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil to rest for 5–10 minutes.
5. Slice tomatoes in half and place in a large salad bowl with corn, quinoa, eschalots, cucumbers and mint. Season to taste. Combine dressing ingredients and toss through salad. Checking seasoning. Scatter with fetta.
6. Carve lamb and serve immediately with corn and quinoa salad and grilled lime halves.
Lyndey’s note:
Quinoa is cooked when the grains are translucent and the germ of the kernel spirals out.
Wine Match:
Grenache, Pinot and Nero d’Avola