Bring Your Australian Menu

Harvey Bay Queen Scallops, Nuoc Cham, Thai Basil and Native Sea Vegetables

Created by Louis Tikaram for Jacob's Creek
This incredibly fresh starter showcases the best of the best Australian seafood with fresh scallops from Harvey Bay and locally foraged sea vegetables.

Wine Pairing: Wine pairings courtesy of Dan Swincer, chief winemaker at Jacob's Creek
Jacob's Creek Barossa Signature Riesling

Serves: 4 as a shared meal

Ingredients
For the Nuoc Cham dressing:
150ml lime juice
75ml fish sauce
30ml distilled vinegar
25ml water
50g sugar
x Fresh long red chilies (sliced)

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk well till combined. Store in an airtight container for up to one month to have on hand on the dinner table to use as a seasoning or dipping sauce for almost anything.

For the dish:
Ingredients
15 – 20 Harvey Bay Scallops (or similar fresh scallops)
x handful Native sea vegetables or pickles sliced to preference

x tsp. cooking oil

Method
Lightly oil the Scallops on either side and sear for 30 seconds in a hot non-stick fry pan in batches. Arrange on a serving plate.
Pour over ¼ cup of Nuoc Cham and arrange the sea vegetables or pickles, serve immediately for a great zingy and zesty starter to get your taste buds ready for a flavorsome meal to come.

Tip: If you don't have access to forage for yourself, you can substitute with any type of pickles or fresh vegetables like carrot, daikon or radish.

Twice Cooked Jacks Creek Wagyu Short Rib, Turmeric, Chili and Grilled Flat Bread

Created by Louis Tikaram for Jacob's Creek
This light aromatic coconut-based curry from Thailand is a great way to showcase beautiful braised meat. The Thai flavours and use of fresh Aussie ingredients is inspired by my multicultural background and experience with cooking both here and in LA.

Wine Pairing: Wine pairings from Dan Swincer, chief winemaker at Jacob's Creek
Jacob's Creek Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon
Jacob's Creek Barossa Signature Shiraz

Serves: 4 as part of a shared meal

Ingredients
For the braised beef rib:
2 pieces of jacks creek beef short ribs (bone in)
2 litres chicken stock
150ml fish sauce
150ml oyster sauce
2 tablespoons of sugar

2 sticks lemon grass (bruised)
1 hand full kaffir lime leaf
1 knob galangal
2 red birds eye chilies

Method
Bring all the ingredients to the boil and let simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Place the short ribs into a baking dish and pour the aromatic broth over the top include the lemongrass and other ingredients to braise with the beef.
Cover with grease prof paper and foil then braise for 3 hours.
The rib bone should move freely from the piece of meat when it is ready.
Remove from the liquid and cool on a wire rack, this step can be done a day before and refrigerated if necessary.

To finish
Chargrill the ribs on a BBQ or wood fired grill or you could simply pan fry them in a heavy based fry pan or grill plate on the stove till they are caramelized with a good char on the outside this should take at least 5 minutes frequently turning.

Tip: In this recipe I am using Australian beef short ribs, though you could substitute it with and kind of fish, chicken or even squid.

Turmeric And Coconut Curry Sauce Curry Paste

In my kitchens we make all our curry pastes fresh daily, it is an expensive and labor intensive process though the result is delicious, when I am making a quick curry at home I use a store bought yellow curry paste which does the job.

Ingredients
1.5 Cup dry long red chili peppers, seeded.
1-cup galangal peeled and sliced.
1-cup lemongrass outer tough leaves removed and sliced.
0.5-cup turmeric peeled and sliced 0.5-cup garlic peeled.
0.5 cup sliced wild ginger (Karachi)
*You can find this at your Asian grocer in a small jar
1 tbsp. cup shrimp paste

Method
Soak the dry seeded chilies in warm water for 20 minutes then drain and add all the ingredients together, blend in a food processor until a smooth uniformed paste, if too dry add a little water to help blend.

To finish the complete dish
Ingredients
2 x braised short ribs (recipe above)
1 x liter Chicken stock
1 x cup Coconut cream
2 x Lemongrass stick
¼ cup x Kaffir Lime leaf (whole)

2 tbsp. Tamarind liquid
2 tbsp. Fish Sauce
2 tbsp. Oyster sauce
1 tbsp. white Sugar
½ cup coriander leaves
½ cup Thai Basil leaves
2 x Fresh long red chilies (sliced)

Method
Bring stock & coconut cream to the boil in a medium sized saucepan with lemongrass & lime leaf to infuse.
Once boiling add 4tbps of curry paste and cook till aromatic and no longer tastes raw. 4. Season the broth with oyster sauce, fish sauce, tamarind and sugar then let boil for 5 minutes.
Adjust the seasoning if necessary; serve with the braised short rib and a fresh herb salad of Thai basil, coriander and sliced long red chili.

Flatbreads

Ingredients
*Makes 12 flatbreads
350g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1-teaspoon baking powder
350g natural yoghurt

Method
Add all the flatbread ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together with a spoon, then use clean hands to pat and bring everything together.
Dust a clean work surface with flour, tip out the dough.
Knead for a minute or so to bring it all together (this isn't a traditional bread recipe, so you don't need to knead it for long – just enough time to bring everything together).
Put the dough into a floured-dusted bowl and cover with a plate, for 30 min.
Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour, then divide the dough in half. Then further divide each half into 6 equal-sized pieces (roughly the size of a golf ball).
With your hands, pat and flatten the dough, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece into 12cm rounds, roughly 2mm to 3mm thick.
Use a knife to cut 6 lines into the centre of each round, leaving about 3cm at each end.
Cook on the flat top for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until bar-marked and puffed up.
Brush the flatbreads all over with ghee or butter & serve immediately.

Jacob's Creek Launches 'Bring Your Australian'

New platform for Australia's #1 wine brand connects consumers around the world with what they love most about Australia

Jacob's Creek has unveiled its latest global masterbrand platform, 'Bring Your Australian' at its pop-up restaurant on Bennelong Point, overlooking Sydney Harbour and the Opera House.

Championing a more contemporary, globally relevant Australian spirit, the platform is supported with a striking new identity, and a fresh colour palette inspired by modern Australia. The 'Bring Your Australian' platform is the start of a new era for the brand, bringing all its wines under one house of brands.

The platform was brought to life at the launch event with three Australian storytellers sharing how their spirit and where they came from had shaped their lives. Chef Louis Tikaram spoke about his rise to culinary fame in Los Angeles with his restaurant EP & LP, and provided the menu for the evening. Adventurer Justin Jones shared his tales of conquering the wild, whilst five-time ARIA winner Katie Noonan serenaded the event with her dulcet voice.

In research for the platform, consumers told the brand that Australians are envied for their life-loving spirit. 'Bring Your Australian' asks consumers to embrace Australian contemporary behaviours and beliefs, no matter where they are in the world but also, that JACOB's CREEK is a brand that is built upon the values demonstrated in our heritage, traditions, products and culture.

Derek Oliver, Global Marketing Director said, "'Bring Your Australian' is about connecting consumers around the world with what they love most about Australia – its people, spirit and love of life, and we are inviting them to join in this way of life with JACOB'S CREEK.

When consumers bring a bottle of JACOB'S CREEK to share, they are bringing more than a wine, they are bringing the warm, generous, life-loving attitude that is inherently Australian but can be experienced by anyone."

Dan Swincer, JACOB'S CREEK Chief Winemaker said, "As Chief Winemaker, I guide the style and quality of every bottle of JACOB'S CREEK wine that is created. That's approximately 1.7 million glasses of wine enjoyed daily across the world. It's always humbling to think that what you work on each day is enjoyed by so many people around the globe.

It is one of the reasons that JACOB'S CREEK has always delivered exceptional quality for every consumer, at every occasion and every price point across the world. It's always a proud moment when our wines win wine show awards, and we're proud to have represented Australian winemaking by winning over 8,000 accolades in the past 40 years."

The new platform is a rally cry for wine lovers across the world to 'share their inner Australian' and enjoy JACOB'S CREEK and will unite the brands marketing across its 80 markets.