After over 20 years at the helm of flagship Margaret River winery restaurant Vasse Felix, Aaron Carr took the bold step of venturing out on his own.

Today, he’s wowing diners at Yarri Restaurant and Bar – a combined restaurant, cellar door and wine bar in Dunsborough.

Yarri cuisine is a celebration of the specialist growers and farmers, vignerons, distillers, fishers, butchers, cheese makers; the local producers who make up the South West region.

Fire up the taste buds with this fresh and flavour-packed dish from one of WA’s most celebrated chefs, Aaron Carr.

While you’re whipping up this tasty meal, learn a little bit more about Aaron and his approach to cooking with WA produce.

BBQ skirt steak with green papaya, roasted rice and nahm jim

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 Harvey Beef skirt steaks (allow 200g each), trimmed
• 65g jasmine rice
• 1 green papaya, julienne cut
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and thinly sliced width-ways
• 2 long red chillies, julienne cut
• 2 golden shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup each of Thai basil, coriander and Vietnamese mint
• Oil for cooking
• 1 cos lettuce to serve

Tip: Skirt steak is a flat and thin cut of meat that’s relatively lean, full of flavour and quick to cook.

Tip: Use a mandolin to thinly slice the cucumber and shallots and julienne the papaya and chillies.

Nahm jim

• 1 green papaya, julienne cut
• 75ml rice wine vinegar
• 5ml fish sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 75ml lime juice

Tip: Nahm jim is a classic Thai dressing that’s hot, sour, salty and sweet – all at the same time.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Scatter the rice across a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven until golden (4-5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Allow the rice to cool slightly then, using a mortar and pestle, finely grind and set aside.
• To prepare the nahm jim dressing, place all the ingredients into the mortar and pestle and pound until smooth, tasting as you go. It should be hot, sour, salty and sweet. Tweak if necessary and set aside.
• Heat some oil in a large frying pan over high heat then cook the steak in batches. Season to taste and fry until the meat is done to your liking. Set aside to rest (10 minutes).

Meanwhile, combine the papaya, cucumber, chilli, golden shallots and herbs in a large bowl, toss gently to combine, drizzle with the dressing and top with the roasted rice.

To plate

Serve the thickly sliced rested steaks and papaya salad with cos leaves for wrapping.