Lemon Myrtle is without a doubt the most popular of Australia’s native herbs, with its fresh fragrance of creamy lemon and lime. It complements so many culinary delights, from fish and chicken to ice cream or sorbet.
Lemon myrtle and pepperberries (ground) make the best seasoning for fish, chips, chicken and roast vegetables.
Lemon Myrtle and mango combined make a great marinade for prawns. Just mash a ripe mango, then add lemon myrtle to taste, some fresh chilli to taste and then slacken it with a bit of oil, coat the prawns and marinade for 20 minutes, wack on the barbie until cook and serve with a fresh salad and mango salsa…….yummo!
A tea can be prepared which is said to have a relaxing effect.
Taste Australia Bush Food Shop has Lemon Myrtle as dried and ground; as well as flakes
Munducklin Mild Bush Curry Powder combines the ingredients of a good curry with Australian Native Foods.
Place 2 tablespoons of olive or macadamia oil into a pan. Add a diced onion and garlic, fry for 3 minutes then add 400gm chopped chicken thigh fillets. Brown the meat and then stir in 2 tablespoons of Munducklin Curry Powder and then your choice of vegetables (we’ve used carrot, zucchini and peas). Cook for 3 minutes and then stir in a can of coconut milk. Turn to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes to release the flavour.
Serve with steamed rice.
Rainforest Pumpkin Dip
Cubed butternut pumpkin tossed in Lemon Myrtle Macadamia Oil, saltbush, lemon myrtle, pepperberry and native thyme.
Roasted for 30 mins and then blended with half cup macadamia nuts.
Lemon Myrtle Crusted Crocodile (entree for 4 or main for 2)
Ingredients
500g Crocodile tail
2 Tsp ground Lemon Myrtle
Gently roll the crocodile in Lemon Myrtle lightly covering the outside.
Cut into bite-sized medallions and grill each side in a hot pan being careful not to over-cook.
Served with salad (cos lettuce, grape tomatoes, red onion rings and avocado tossed in a dressing (half bush tomato vinegar, half macadamia oil) and potato mashed with Lemon Myrtle Macadamia Nut Oil and salt to taste.
Quark & Lemon Myrtle Cherry Cake
Ingredients
2 eggs separated
pinch salt
100gm sugar
1 Tbspn Lime Juice
60gm semolina
50gm roughly chopped macadamia nuts
1 teaspn Mango or Vanilla Essence
milk
2 teaspns Lemon Myrtle
140gm Quark
Beat egg whites with 1 Tbspn of the sugar and 2 teaspns Lemon Myrtle until soft and peaky.
Mix egg yolks, remaining sugar, lime juice, semolina, macadamia nuts, Mango essence and 4 Tbspn milk.
In a saucepan combine 250ml milk, 140gm Quark. Bring to boil and then add egg yolk mix. Stir. Bring to boil. Cool for 10 minutes before folding in egg white batter.
Pour into a lightly oiled cake tin which has a layer of drained Morello cherries in it.
Bake 80 minutes on low (approx 130C)
Serve with Quark & Honey Cream (mix 2 Tbspns of Quark with a teaspn of honey)
Lemon Myrtle Drink Mix
Ingredients:
125ml lemon juice
125ml lime juice
1 litre water
2 cups sugar
lemon rind (1/4 of 1 lemon – remove pith)
1 tspn citric acid
1.5 cups fresh lemon myrtle leaves (wash thoroughly)
Place first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add lemon myrtle leaves and allow to soak for 3-5 minutes. Remove the leaves.
Cool the mixture. Pour into a sterilised bottle.
Refrigerate. Dilute to taste to serve.
Lemon Myrtle Crocodile Pizza
Ingredients
1 pizza base
6 Tablespoons Bush Tomato Pizza Sauce
Red onion, finely sliced
150g crocodile tail cut into 2-3mm thick slices, tossed in 1 tablespoon of lemon myrtle and pan fried.
Handful of baby spinach, blanched for 3 minutes
1 teaspoon baby capers
Mozzarella cheese
Spread the pizza base with the Bush Tomato Pizza Sauce.
Add a light covering of spinach
Then a small sprinkle of the red onion.
Place crocodile randomly over the pizza
Sprinkle the capers and top with the cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200ºC.
Great on its own or served with a dollop of sour cream.
Crab Cakes served with Corn Relish
Ingredients
1 egg
1 teaspoon Lemon Myrtle Pepperberry Sea Salt
1/3 cup Lemon Myrtle Mayonnaise (see below)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Lemon Myrtle Chilli Sauce (see below)
2 (170gm) cans crab meat
2 Tbspns Macadamia Nut Oil
Mix all ingredients except the crab meat. Then stir in crab meat. Set aside and prepare the Corn Relish.
Then place oil in a pan. Fry spoonfuls of crab mix for approx 4 minutes a side. Serve immediately with Corn Relish.
Corn Relish
Ingredients
1 can corn kernels (drained)
2 roma tomatoes (diced)
1/2 red onion (diced)
2 Tbspns Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspn Lemon Myrtle Pepperberry Sea Salt
2 teaspn Wine Vinegar
3 Tbspns Lemon Myrtle Mayonnaise (see below)
Place all ingredients except the mayonnaise into a bowl and mix. Then stir in the mayonnaise.
Lemon Myrtle Calamari Tempura –
Mix together 1 tsp lemon myrtle, 1 cup of plain flour and 2 tablespoons cornflour.
Then roll calamari rings (enough for 4 people) into mixture.
Heat 20ml macadamia nut oil and 50gm butter in a pan.
Add 1½ tsp saltbush, 1½ tsp mountain pepperleaf and 1 tsp Pepperberry Sea salt.
After 30 seconds add the calamari in batches.
Lemon Myrtle, Saltbush, Mountain Pepperleaf and Pepperberry Sea salt and Lemon Myrtle Pepperberry Sea salt are available in the Taste Australia Bush Food Shop
Lemon Myrtle Chilli Sauce –
Blend 3 large peeled garlic cloves,4 tspn dried chilli flakes, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar & 1/2 tbspn salt.
Transfer to a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 mins.
Then add thickener (1 tbspn cornflour, 2 tbspns water & 1 dspn ground lemon myrtle).
Stir well until it thickens a little. Cool and bottle. Refrigerate. Makes half a cup.
Use as a dipping sauce; mix it with aioli for a dip; brush on grilled chicken wings and grilled corn cobs or use it as a base for dressings.
For a variation – replace lemon myrtle with peppermint gum
Lemon Myrtle Aioli
Blend 2 egg yolks, 2 tbspns lime juice, 1 teaspn Mustard, 1 heaped teaspoon honey, 1 teaspn Ground Lemon Myrtle, 1/2 teaspoon of Pepperberry Sea Salt. Slowly add 250ml Macadamia Nut Oil
Baked Ricotta and Honey Lemon Myrtle Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 packet of Granita Biscuits
1/4 cup sugar
90gm unsalted butter
250gm cream cheese
600gm ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
4 eggs
2 teaspoons Ground Lemon Myrtle or grated lemon rind or grated orange rind
1.5 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons honey
45gm pistachios
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan forced). Grease a springform pan and wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of alfoil.
Finely crush biscuits and combine with sugar and butter. Press crumbs into the base of the springform pan and then refrigerate.
Beat the cream cheese and then add the ricotta and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Then add cornflour. Then add eggs one at a time blending well each time. Then add lemon myrtle and vanilla.
Place springform pan in a baking dish. Pour mix into springform pan. Then pour enough hot water into the baking dish so that it comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 140C (120C fan forced) and bake for a further 30 minutes until almost set.
Remove pan from water. Cool. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Serve with honey and pistachios.
Lemon Myrtle Laksa
18 fresh Lemon Myrtle leaves
5 cups of boiling water
270 ml coconut cream
2 small roasted red chillies
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground Lemon Myrtle
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Lemon Myrtle Macadamia Nut oil
100 gm bean sprouts
300 gm silken organic tofu -cubed, roll in rice flour and shallow fry in olive oil
500 gm green prawns de veined, shelled and tails on
¼ cup fresh coriander
200gms snow peas
Small packet (100gm) vermicelli noodles
Method
To make the Lemon Myrtle stock pour 5 cups of boiling water onto 15 fresh Lemon Myrtle leaves and allow to stand for 24 hours. Remove the leaves bar three. Add the coconut cream to the lemon myrtle stock and allow to stand.
Brush the chillies in oil and cook under the grill till a slightly burnt, remove the head and cut in half, remove seeds. Peel the skin from the chillies & dice, along with the flesh and add to the stock with grated ginger and fish sauce. The longer you leave to stand the stronger the chilli flavour.
Place the vermicelli noodles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes to soak. Drain and set aside.
Roll cubed tofu into rice flour and shallow fry in olive oil. Drain and set aside.
Bring stock to the boil and simmer for two minutes adding ground lemon myrtle. Add the green prawns, tofu and snow peas and cook for 2 minutes before adding 1 teaspoon of salt.
Divide the noodles between serving bowls, top with the bean sprouts and chopped coriander. Pour the laksa soup over the noodles, dividing the seafood, snow peas and tofu equally among the bowls. Garnish with coriander, chilli and lemon myrtle leaf.
Lemon Myrtle Aioli & Grilled vegetables
Blend 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons Wine Vinegar, 1 teaspoon Mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, Mountain Pepperleaf and Salt and then slowly add 250ml Lemon Myrtle Macadamia Nut Oil.
Place in a serving bowl.
Preheat grill on high. Cover roasting tray with aluminium foil. Arrange vegetables on top and brush with oil.
1 red capsicum and 1 yellow capsicum (both seeded, deribbed and cut into long strips 3 cm wide), 6 finger size eggplants (halved), 6 small zucchini (halved), 6 yellow squash (halved), 6 baby purple onions (halved).
Grill until just beginning to brown and then turn. Cook until tender (about 4-8 minutes). Serve hot with Aioli and garnish with snow peas.
Lemon Myrtle Chilli Sauce
Blend 3 large peeled garlic cloves,4 tspn dried chilli flakes, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar & 1/2 tbspn salt.
Transfer to a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 mins. Then add thickener (1 tbspn cornflour, 2 tbspns water & 1 teaspn ground lemon myrtle). Stir well until it thickens a little. Cool and bottle. Refrigerate. Makes half a cup.
Roast Pork infused with Wild Citrus
Ingredients:
1 Pork Roast (rolled shoulder or leg)
Oz Tukka Wild Citrus Grind
2 cloves Garlic (peeled and sliced)
1 Tablespoon Oil
If the meat does not have incisions in the skin, make them. Then press unground Wild Citrus Mix into the cuts along with slices of garlic.
Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and then into the oven at 180C (40 minutes per Kilo)
Wild Citrus Grind is a combination of sea salt, raw sugar, blood lime, ginger, lemon myrtle, pink pepper, strawberry gum, thyme, lime and mandarin
Davidsons Plum Chilli Dip
Mix 250 gram sour cream with 3 Tablespoons of Davidsons Plum Chilli Sauce. Swirl another teaspoon on top for decoration.
Lemon Myrtle Chicken with Sauce
Ingredients
whole large chicken breast cut into 2.5 cm pieces
Marinade
1/2 cup Macadamia Nut Oil
1 teaspoon ground lemon myrtle
Marinate the chicken pieces half an hour. Thread onto skewers and then char grill for a couple of minutes on each side. Season with Salt and Mountain Pepperleaf and serve with Lemon Myrtle Sauce (recipe below) and a green salad.
Lemon Myrtle Sauce
Mix 1 cup of thick yoghurt, half tablespoon honey, teaspoon lemon myrtle mixed with 2 teaspoons of hot water, salt.
Keep cool until needed
Lemon Myrtle Mayonnaise
INGREDIENTS
1. 2 egg yolks
2. 2 tablespoons lime juice
3. 1 teaspoon Mustard
4. 1 teaspoon honey
5. 250ml Macadamia Nut Oil
6. 1 teaspoon lemon myrtle
7. pinch Mountain Pepperleaf and Salt
Blend all ingredients. Simply wonderful with fresh prawns(to taste). Simply wonderful with fresh prawns
Lemon Myrtle & Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
Ingredients (For the base and crumble topping)
100g plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
150g macadamia nuts
100g butter (cold, cut into chunks)
½ tsp ground lemon myrtle
Blend flour, sugar, macadamias and lemon myrtle until macadamias are ground into small bits, but still visible in the mixture. Add cold butter, processing very briefly- only long enough for a crumbly texture, not a paste.
Press ¾ of the mixture into the base of a prepared 24cm springform pan. Refrigerate the remaining crumble mixture (for the topping on the cheesecake).
For the filling
1 cup castor sugar
750g cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs, at room temperature
300ml sour cream
2 tspns pure vanilla essence
1½ tspns ground lemon myrtle
Blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Slowly add the sour cream, vanilla essence and lemon myrtle until well mixed. Scrape filling onto the prepared base, smoothing the top.
Bake for 1-1½ hours at 160C, without opening the oven door, until the top of the cheesecake is a light golden brown. Turn the oven off.
Open the oven door just long enough to scatter the reserved crumble topping evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Close the oven immediately, and let the cheesecake stand, undisturbed, for another 2 hours in the hot oven. The crumble topping will lightly toast while the oven gradually cools. Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, then chill in the fridge.
Serve with Wild Fruit in Syrup or your favourite fresh fruit.
LEMON MYRTLE CUSTARD
Heat 500ml milk, ¾ cup sugar and 10g Ground Lemon Myrtle in a saucepan. When almost boiling add 4 tablespoons custard powder blended with a little milk. Cook on low heat until thick. Allow to cool, then whip 200ml cream and fold into cool custard.
LEMON MYRTLE BISCUITS
Ingredients:
250gm sugar
250gm Butter
500gm sifted SR flour
4 eggs
25gm Ground Lemon Myrtle
Method:
1. Cream together sugar and butter add the eggs one at a time, fold in flour and lemon myrtle until combined roll into small balls
2. Flour fork and press slightly bake in moderate oven (Approx 180C) for 12 to 15 minutes
3. Cool and store in an airtight container
Lemon Myrtle Tea can be prepared which is said to have a relaxing effect:
Bring 2 cups of water to the boil, add 8 fresh/dried lemon myrtle leaves, 5cm piece of ginger and 2 teaspoons of honey. Turn off heat. Allow to rest for a minimum of 10 minutes. Strain and serve.
Lemon Myrtle Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS for base
1. 1 Tablespoon Wattleseed
2. 1 cup plain flour
3. half cup sugar
4. one cup macadamia nuts
5. 120ml Macadamia Oil
6. 2 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 180C.
In a food processor all the above ingredients . Then press into the bottom of a greased baking dish and bake for 15 mins. Allow to cool.
INGREDIENTS for filling
1. 2 Tablespoons Lemon Myrtle
2. 500gm cream cheese
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 3 large free range eggs.
Blend above ingredients. Beat until mixture is fluffy. Pour into cooled crust and then bake for 20 minutes or until set.