As Australia Day approaches, it’s time to unite as a nation and celebrate all that’s great about Australia; the friendly folks, wonderful weather, premium produce and of course the national dish, Lamb.

Australians love their Lamb, consuming an average of 11.4kg of Lamb per person annually. That’s one of the highest consumption rates in the world. Australian Lamb is famous worldwide for its top quality and succulent flavour.

Here are some recipes:

Char-grilled spiced Lamb cutlets with ratatouille

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

12 frenched Lamb cutlets

2 tsp ground cumin

For the ratatouille:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces

1 medium yellow capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces

1 medium zucchini, halved and diced

400g can diced tomatoes

Fresh thyme leaves

1. Brush the Lamb cutlets lightly with oil. Season with salt, pepper and the cumin. Preheat the char-grill

pan to hot before adding the cutlets.

2. Cook on one side until the first sign of moisture appears. Turn

cutlets once only. Test for doneness with tongs. Rare is soft, medium feels springy and well done is very firm.

3. Remove the Lamb cutlets from the heat, loosely cover with foil and rest them for 2 minutes before serving. Serve with the ratatouille.

To make the ratatouille: Heat the oil in a large frypan. Add the onion and capsicum and cook until just soft. Add the zucchini and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20

minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme leaves to serve.

Honeyed Lamb loin chops with crispy noodle salad

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

8 Lamb loin chops

2 tsp warmed honey

1 pkt crispy oriental noodles

2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage

1 small green capsicum, thinly sliced

3 spring onions, finely sliced

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves (optional)

¼ cup honey and soy salad dressing

1. Brush Lamb chops lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper and brush each with honey. Preheat the pan or barbecue to moderately-hot before adding the chops.

2. Cook chops on one side until the first sign of moisture appears on the top. Turn and cook further until done to your preference. Turn once only. Test for doneness with tongs. Rare is soft when pressed, medium is springy and well done is very firm.

3. Remove chops from heat, loosely cover with foil and rest chops for 3 minutes before serving. Toss together the noodles, cabbage, capsicum, green onion and coriander and drizzle with the salad dressing. Serve the salad alongside the Lamb chops.

Barbecued butterflied Lamb leg with herb mayonnaise

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

1.5kg leg of Lamb, boned and butterflied (your butcher can do this for you)

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

a selection of raw and blanched seasonal vegetables

For the herb mayonnaise:

½ cup whole egg style mayonnaise

fresh chives, dill, parsley or coriander, chopped

lemon juice

1. Preheat the barbecue flat-plate or char-grill plate to hot. Score the inside of the butterflied Lamb leg in a criss-cross fashion. Combine rosemary, oil and mustard and smear over both sides of Lamb.

2. Place the Lamb on the barbecue, reduce heat to moderately-hot. Cook the first side of the Lamb for 20 minutes, turn and cook for a further 20 minutes.

3. Remove Lamb, cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with vegetables and the herb mayonnaise.

To make the herb mayonnaise: Combine mayonnaise with freshly chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.