I purchased a plump and perfectly marbled piece of scotch fillet from Chilcott’s Butchery, intending to turn this into a moist roast for lunch, alongside a deep tray of spiced roasted winter vegetables and home cooked silky gravy. However we returned home a little later than planned, having been out on a long walk enjoying the cool but clear winter weekend weather with our children and exuberant dog. 

As I walked into the kitchen the platters of winter fruits spilling over onto the bench caught my eye. In particular the deep hue of seedless Australian navel oranges and bright yellow lemons. A crisp citrus salad sprang to mind and what better accompaniment than tender steak hot of the barbecue. 

All thoughts of a roast were dispensed, as my husband fired up the “barbie” and carefully cut the whole piece of scotch fillet into even medium slices. Even when this cut of meat is cooked through – essential when one is pregnant – it still manages to retain its tenderness and taste. The steaks were drizzled with olive oil, dried Italian herbs and a good grind of sea salt and black pepper and allowed to rest until the barbecue plate and grill were ready. 

While the steaks were sizzling, I tossed together a Refreshing Citrus Salad and simple dressing. The lemon left over from the salad dressing was squeezed over the steaks as they came off the barbecue. Our children set the table, poured out glasses of mineral water and we all enjoyed a healthy and promptly prepared meal thanks to teamwork and the excellent produce on hand.

Refreshing Citrus Salad  to feed 8 people. This salad is an excellent accompaniment to barbecued beef, but also chicken thighs or breasts with the skin on or thick fillets of white-fleshed fish such as Blue-Eye or Barramundi. The fresh, fragrant ingredients of the salad beautifully balance out the rich flavour and dense texture of your choice of protein. 

Ingredients 
* All vegetables must be washed in cold water before slicing and dried. It is easiest to do this using a salad spinner for the lettuce and a clean tea towel for the other veggies.

2 baby cos lettuce sliced into thick ribbons
2 Lebanese cucumbers sliced into thin circles
2 long sticks of celery – peel with a potato peeler to remove the hard stringy threads, slice thinly
1 avocado cut into chunky pieces
1 medium carrot either sliced into delicate bite sized sticks or into slices using a potato peeler
200 g feta – I used sharp tasting Greek feta but if you prefer a more mild feta, try a creamy Danish style. 
1 large juicy orange, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes

Toss together all of the ingredients, with the exception of the feta and avocado and a few pieces of orange and carrot, in a large salad bowl or platter. 

Dot the feta, avocado, the reserved orange and carrot pieces evenly over the top of the salad. Drizzle with the dressing below and dig in! 

For the dressing…this will lightly coat the salad, rather than drenching it.
juice of half a lemon – use the other half to squeeze over the hot steaks
half a tablespoon of white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
good grind of sea salt and a little ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients into a screw top jar, give it a good shake and pour evenly over the salad.