JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa’s signature restaurant, Citrique, has partnered with truffle supplier Debbie Oliver to showcase black truffles from Australia’s truffle capital, Manjimup, Western Australia in a new six-course degustation menu launching on Wednesday, July 10.
The menu will highlight the diverse and unexpected ways the delicacy can be experienced in an exquisite culinary journey curated by Executive Chef, Paul Smart.
Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of truffles, with more than 400 farms across the country. This season, Australia is looking to produce more than 20 tonnes of the highly sought-after Perigord French black Winter truffle.
Truffle grower and supplier, Debbie’s mission is to educate Chefs on the care and use of the product and the exciting industry we have in Australia. By connecting them with first-hand experiences with the delicacy, Debbie aims to bridge the gap between grower and kitchen to empower all kinds of Chefs and foodies to use the intriguing ingredient in their kitchens - Citrique provides a stage to tell this story.
The menu is a continuation of the Producer Spotlight series at Citrique - the first of which was launched earlier this year in collaboration with Umar Nguyen to bring under-utilised seafood from nearby shores to the forefront. These menus are aimed at putting a spotlight on ingredients that will captivate diners looking to delve a little deeper into the stories behind the food on their plate.
"Working with Debbie to bring this iteration to life has been an incredible journey that has taken us all the way to Western Australia for the Lady Truffle Tour ahead of the Truffle Kerfuffle Festival, where we hunted with the help of highly trained rescue dogs for the earth’s most sought-after delicacies in the fertile soil of Manjimup to unearth the first truffles of the season”, Paul says.
"We’ve had a strong appetite for truffles from the local market when we’ve featured them throughout previous menus and creating a dedicated culinary journey to the delicacy felt like a natural next step at Citrique. The Manjimup black truffle lends itself well to the produce we work with at Citrique. Local seafood features heavily on our menu and I wanted to showcase some unexpected combinations that would really marry well with the flavour of the truffles - as well as the traditional pairings our diners know and love”.
The six-course menu starts with a duck pâté with truffle brioche and leads into two seafood dishes - seared sea scallops with truffle orzo and shaved fresh truffle lend themselves well to taking on the intense flavour of the truffle and are seared while in their shell to take on the maximum flavour. Glacier 51 toothfish with asparagus and truffle cream sauce acts as a vessel to take on the tastes of the truffle.
Contrasting textures take centre stage with the main meat dishes - lamb cutlet with truffle mousse, pomme purée and truffle jus balances truffle through a delicate and airy cream while on the other end of the spectrum the Wagyu beef with truffle rosti, heirloom carrots and Shiraz jus is a crisp textural experience.
Dessert is inspired by the allure of the search on a truffle hunt. The chocolate truffle hazelnut financier reveals a macae truffle cremeux hidden inside, reminiscent of the thrilling moment of unearthing a treasure on a truffle hunt.
The elegant ambience of Citrique has always made it a favourite destination for local, and the new Producer Spotlight menu is a decadent way to experience a taste of the Modern Australian cuisine Citrique is known for with a special homage to the bounties of our nearby seas.
The six-course Producer Spotlight menu will be available at Citrique from July 10 until September 12, 2024 for $129 pp (additional $59 pp for six-course wine pairing). Bookings can be made via www.citriquerestaurant.com.
On Fridays to Sundays, Citrique offers its popular seafood buffet for $129 pp, weaving through the celebrated produce from the weekday a la carte menus along with a decadent spread of succulent seafood, roasts, wood-fired pizzas and desserts to delight all palates.
Diners who choose to experience Citrique’s a la carte menu, available Mondays to Thursdays, will also be able to enjoy shaved fresh truffle as an optional add on to any dish on the menu for the duration of the Truffle Producer Spotlight menu.
