Equally at home in sweet or savoury dishes, limes are plentiful this time of year thanks to the vibrant WA Citrus industry. Try this super ceviche – it’s a great way to get a taste for the zing that limes bring to the table.
Here are three other easy-peasy ways to put Western Australian limes to work, with delicious results.
Crown your curry
Want something different from the usual raita with your curry? Chop two-three tomatoes, one long green chilli and ½ a red onion finely; halve a lebanese cucumber down the middle and then slice into small pieces; and chop up a generous handful of coriander. Add to a bowl with 1 tsp of chilli powder (or less, according to taste) and 1 tsp of toasted and ground cumin seeds. Squeeze over the juice of one Western Australian lime and mix gently together. Taste and add a bit more spice or lime juice as desired. Serve a generous spoonful on top of the curry and add some Mundella Greek yoghurt if desired. (It’s also delicious as a salsa with corn chips or on toast and you can change it up with a chopped avocado.)
Make a marinade
Aside from ‘cooking’ fish, the acidic lime helps break down fats and tenderise meat so it melts in your mouth when cooked. It can be used in so many marinades. If you like a little spice, mix the juice of one lime with 3tbsp olive oil (use Jingilli EVOO or Great Southern Groves), 1tbsp red wine vinegar, 1tsp chilli powder (use less or more, depending on how much heat you want), and ½ tsp each of paprika, onion and garlic powder. Coat 500g chicken thighs (use Lilydale or Mt Barker) in the marinade and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight. Cook the chicken on the barbecue, grill or frypan and serve with fresh lime wedges, and salad or vegies of choice.
Dial up dessert
A lime tart is a beautiful thing – to look at and eat. You can make it quickly, too, especially if you pick up one of Empire Pastry’s ready-made shortcrust pastry shells. Preheat oven to 200C. Whisk together five eggs, 250ml of cream (use Bannister Downs Dairy or Brownes Dairy), ¾ cup caster sugar, 2 tbsp finely grated lime rind and about ½ cup lime juice. Put in the fridge while preparing the pastry case as per packet instructions. Strain the lime mixture into a jug and pour into the case. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set. Bring to room temperature before refrigerating. When ready to serve, decorate with thin lime slices (caramelise them in a mix of simmering sugar and water, if you like, and allow to cool before decorating) and dust with icing sugar. Viola!
Australian Black Limes
Okay, we know we said three easy ways with limes but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the mighty black lime, too. Especially given that these zesty beauties are produced right here in the Wheatbelt. The Tretheway family run Australian Black Limes – the country’s first producer and cultivator of black limes – and they know how to make them sing, too. The popular Middle Eastern ingredient, which is created by boiling fresh limes in brine and drying them in the sun or a dehydrator, adds a unique tangy, smoky-sweetness to myriad dishes, and the scent is heavenly. Try Australian Black Limes’ chilli chicken curry for starters. A heartwarming, flavour-packed dish, it’s bound to strike the right note on a cold winter’s night.
And if you can’t get enough of our citrus beauties (don’t worry, neither can we), you will find plenty more recipes using Western Australian limes on our website.