Put a spring in your step - it’s time to renew, refresh and refuel as September heralds the beginning of a new season.
Get ready for new season vegetables and fruit as Spring makes its way into our kitchens and onto our plates – think Asian greens, avocado, spinach and sweet potato, along with fruit such as mangoes, honeydew melon and strawberries.
We have three delicious recipes that will turn any dinner frown upside down…try these showstoppers for a three-course Spring meal to remember.
Nothing signifies warmer weather more than seafood and it’s hard to go past Akaiito Chef Winston Zhang’s signature dish of robata scallops.
Winston defines his culinary style as Modern Asian, having grown up in Chinese culture but learning and training in Australia.
"I love the changing of the seasons and the new seasonality of ingredients that brings. I always want to try to complement seasonal ingredients while creating new flavours along the way.”
This starter is made with seaweed butter, yuzu and chives, combining fresh Hervey Bay scallops with Japanese flavours and textures – it is a simple but ‘oishi’ (so good) recipe you can replicate at home.
Shio kombu, seaweed paste and yuzu juice are available at most Asian grocery stores in the Japanese section; and Winston says any leftover seaweed butter is always great on toast.
"Present the dish however you want, at Akaiito we place our scallops on a bed of rocks to give the plating inspiration of under the sea,” Winston says.
For the main, we are heading to FABRIC Restaurant and Bar in Albury to taste Chef Michael Thiele’s crispy duck with red curry and fragrant rice – imagine succulent roast duck in an aromatic red curry broth, fragrant steamed jasmine rice and a fresh, light micro salad.
Nestled in the Mercure Hotel, this restaurant delivers fresh, fun and seriously good food to those on the road looking to linger over a meal in trendy surroundings, dining on seasonal dishes showcasing local produce.
For an indulgent finish with a Peruvian touch, devour Uma Restaurant’s tarta de Maracuya, which looks as stunning on the plate as on the palate. Chef Sai Jayanth Jetty delivers a wholemeal-based tart, topped with passionfruit purée and decadent dark chocolate mousse – that’s Spring on the plate!
For more Spring recipes, click here.
