Dinner Party Trends With Sara Oteri

We Love Our Lamb, Collaborative Cooking, Recipe

Host a trend-setting dinner party with these delicious and easy Lamb recipes courtesy of Sara Oteri.

Australians love coming together over Lamb, whether it is barbecued lamb

chops with friends or a spiced lamb salad shared over lunch, Lamb is the

one dish that can bring everyone to the table, no matter how diverse their

background or culture.

Across the country, we’re also hosting modern dinner parties, infusing new

flavours and themes with the traditions of the past. Gone are the days of

formal sit down dinners, with hosts spending hours in the kitchen, traded

instead for informal gatherings, culinary challenges and collaborative

cooking.

Former MasterChef contestant and Instagram foodie, Sara Oteri, has

created three delicious Australian Lamb recipes inspired by the latest

dinner party trends.

Trend: Weeknight entertaining

Weeknight entertaining is the new weekend dinner party, with Wednesday

being the night of choice to catch up with friends at home. With young

Australians more time poor than ever, hosts are opting for authentic and

traditional food that is easy to prepare instead of a three-course meal.

Trend: Collaborative cooking

Collaborative cooking is an emerging trend being embraced by

millennials, eager to connect with one another over food and escape the

routine and stress of every day life. By sharing in the preparation and

cooking of meals together, dinner transforms into a collaborative journey

to feast rather than one person stressing over the cooking.

Trend: Bring-A-Dish

The practicalities of hosting a dinner party have changed over time, with

city dwellers rarely having the space for a dining table, least one large

enough for a sizeable dinner party. As kitchens also get smaller, themed

‘bring a dish’ get-togethers have evolved – bending the rules as to how

and where dinner is prepared and served. The rise in street food-inspired

dishes, ethnic flavours, simplicity and ‘fast causal’ concepts all lend

themselves to dinner parties where attendees bring their own dish,

adhering to a pre-assigned theme.

Sara’s Spiced Lamb Pita Pockets with Charred Eggplant and Fresh Herbs

Cooking is best when shared amongst friends. One can slice the tomatoes,
while one fries the halloumi and another makes the lamb. These pita
pockets are the perfect crowd pleaser any night of the week and will make
sure to get everyone involved.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Serves: 6 (1 pita per person)

INGREDIENTS

Patties

500g lamb mince (makes 6
patties)
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
(optional)
1/4 cup raisins, soaked and
roughly chopped
1 egg
3/4 cup panko crumbs or bread
crumbs

Accompaniments

2 large eggplants
6 tomatoes, sliced into rounds
3 Lebanese cucumbers, ribboned
1/2 red cabbage, finely sliced
1/2 cup tzatziki
225g haloumi, fried
1/4 cup honey
Bunch of dill
Bunch of mint
Lemon cheeks to dress (optional)
6 pack pita bread

METHOD
1. Combine the mince with garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and
raisins. Once well combined, add egg and incorporate well before
adding the panko crumbs until well combined. Split the mix into 6
even portions and roll into 2cm thick patties.

2. Slice the eggplants into 2cm rounds and fry on a griddle pan to
colour and cook through. Set aside.

3. Fry the patties in a non-stick pan on medium heat until golden and
cooked through. Allow to rest for 3 minutes.

4. To serve, fill your pita with lamb, eggplant and as many of the
accompaniments as you feel like.

TIPS
• Mince patties need time to rest after cooking to make sure you set
aside for at least 3 minutes.
• Patties tend to shrink when cooked, which can make them thicker in
the middle. If you feel the meat is still undercooked in the centre,
finish it in the oven, not the pan. This will stop the outside from
burning while you cook it.
• The recipe lends itself to getting creative in the kitchen! The
accompaniments are suggestions only, so feel free to mix it up and
choose your favourite mix and match ingredients!