HOW TO USE
• As a spice anywhere you would use lemongrass, lime or lemon zest. The flavour is very strong, a combination of lemon flavour with eucalyptus notes in the background, and it’s best if added just before cooking is finished. It should only be cooked for 10-15 minutes.
• Add to your favourite tea blend or on its own. Place a teaspoon of lemon myrtle in a tea strainer, pour boiling water over and let infuse for 3-5 minutes.
• It goes well with tofu and in desserts. Just sprinkle a little on before cooking. Add to steamed rice.
• Blend with oil and vinegar for a salad dressing.
• Lemon myrtle works well with milk products. Add it to dressings and sauces, ice cream, to cheesecakes, biscuits and to plain shortbread.
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Lemon myrtle
Lemon myrtle, Backhousia citriodora, is a medium-sized tree found in the coastal rainforests of north-eastern Australia. Its leaves and flowers contain the world’s highest concentration of citral (90-98%), an essential oil also found in lemongrass; the leaves also have a strong lemon aroma. Plants are available from most native plant nurseries. Due to growing demand the trees are farmed commercially in northern NSW and Queensland.
RECIPES
Lemon myrtle pancakes
• 1 1⁄2 tsp lemon myrtle
• 200 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1⁄4 cups self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• butter or oil for frying
Whisk all ingredients until the mix is smooth and bubbly. Grease fry pan with butter/oil. Pour dollops into a thick based frypan over medium heat, flip each pancake after bubbles have risen and popped and the bottom is golden brown. Serve with coulis, ice cream, maple syrup, agave. Sprinkle with a little lemon myrtle as a garnish.
Avocado tomato sandwiches with lemon myrtle-pepperberry seasoning
• 1⁄3 ripe avocado per sandwich
• 2⁄3 ripe tomato, thickly-sliced
• your favourite bread
• lemon myrtle-pepperberry seasoning (a mix of ground lemon myrtle leaves and mountain pepper)
Spread the avocado on one slice of bread. Sprinkle well with the seasoning. Lay the tomato over right to the edges. Sprinkle with a tiny bit more seasoning. Top with another slice.
Grilled marinated vegetables
Serves: 4-6. Prep time: 40 minutes + 1 1⁄2 hours marinating. Cooking time: 30 minutes
• 2 eggplants
• 2 capsicums
• 3 small squash/zucchini
• 12 small mushrooms
• 12 walnuts, optional
Marinade
• 50 ml olive oil
• 50 ml white balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped
• 1⁄4 tsp lemon myrtle
• 1⁄2 tsp mountain pepper, ground
• 1 tbsp broad leaf parsley, chopped
1 Cut eggplant and squash in 5 mm slices, lengthwise, diagonal or crosswise. Sprinkle with a little salt and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off and dry. (The salt reduces eggplant’s bitter taste.)
2 Cut stems off mushrooms to make it level with the cup. Cut capsicum in strips, removing seeds and membrane. Place all the vegetables in a dish and pour the marinade over them. Leave in fridge for 90 mins.
3 Remove from fridge and let sit 15 minutes before you either: 1) fry on a pan, 2) bake under the griller or in the oven or 3) Grill on the barbie. Brush frequently with marinade while cooking.
4 Serve warm, lukewarm or cold as a side dish, in pita bread, as a sandwich with Turkish bread or with some crisp Italian bread, lemon myrtle pesto or yoghurt dip.
TIP: The marinade can also be used as a salad dressing.
SOURCES
Recipe cards from Kurrajong Native Foods sample packs, recipe cards from OzTukka five spice pack
http://www.bushtuckerstore.org
http://www.oztukka.com.au
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