Spring is a universally favoured season for many chefs. The return of the warmer weather means longer evenings, abundant green vegetables, and an opportunity to usher in new menus that champion lighter fare.
But it’s not as easy as tacking a seafood- or veg-centric dish onto the menu — spring dishes take time, consideration, and future-planning, especially when it comes sourcing hyper-seasonal ingredients that necessitate near-perfect conditions — here’s looking at you, white asparagus.
Hospitality speaks to Manu Feildel from Bistro Red Lion by Manu and Fabian Lehmann from Maxwell Wines about the inspiration behind their spring menus, the development of new additions, and catering to changing diner preferences.
You can find Bistro Red Lion by Manu at the Red Lion Hotel in Sydney’s Inner West. The historic Rozelle pub opened the bistro back in July, appointing Manu Feildel as the culinary lead behind the concept, which showcases recipes from the chef’s family archives. “I want guests to forget the outside world and feel as though they’re dining at my home, enjoying a good bottle of wine,” he says.
The venue opened its doors in the thick of the cool season, serving guests comforting dishes of matelote (fish stew) with Murray cod and mussels with speck, mushroom, and red wine sauce as well as the highly ordered double-baked Comté cheese soufflé.
But the time has come to usher in lighter dishes, with Feildel getting to work on the menu in August. “I typically start thinking about the spring menu at least one month before the first day of spring,” he says. “It gives me the time to get my creative juices going and to do some research on seasonal produce. Everyone is ready for fresh meals that aren’t too heavy.”
When it comes to dish inspiration, sixth-generation chef Feildel combines his own personal style of cooking with ideas picked up from “reading through cookbooks and searching for new techniques and ingredients”, he says.
Speaking of produce, the chef has decided to hone in on Australian pork as his protein of choice for the coming months after the team received positive feedback on a winter pork dish.
“We have been using 500g free-range pork cutlets from the Hunter Valley, which is a juicy, tender cut with a good amount of fat,” says Feildel. “It has been so successful on the menu that we’re going to keep it on, but pair it with something different — slow roasted grapes and a sweet, slightly sour verjus sauce. Australia has amazing pork that is so great to cook with.”
Guests can also keep an eye out for spring lamb as well as green asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, corn, and black garlic, which Feildel has chosen to highlight across a range of new dishes. “I am thinking of salt-cured Ora King salmon with Davidson plum; sweetcorn velouté with a crab and almond salad; lamb two ways with white bean pureé and black garlic; and beef tartare with Jerusalem artichoke crisps,” he says. There’s much to look forward to trying at the 120-seater, which will make the most of its alfresco balcony dining space now the city is seeing warmer days.
Over in McLaren Vale, Fabian Lehmann is more than ready to showcase the best the season and the state of South Australia has to offer. The German-born and raised culinary talent has a Michelin-studded CV having worked at Apicus, the Grand Elysee, and Schlosshotel Kronberg in Germany before he relocated to Adelaide in 2016.
Lehmann joined Maxwell Wines in the same year as head chef, a position he has held ever since. Maxwell Wines’ restaurant serves the best of spring when it comes to the winery’s scenic location as well as the dishes that appear on the menu. The restaurant offers a tasting experience, which consists of 10 to 14 dishes comprising both snacks and plated courses.
Spring also marks the period when tourists begin to return to the region. “It’s pretty quiet down here in winter, but people come out of hibernation when the sun is out — it’s a totally different feel,” says Lehmann.
The increase in tourists means the restaurant is booked out during the warm season, which means there are plenty of mouths to feed and consider when developing new dishes in early August.
The time it takes to create a new dish varies,” says Lehmann. “Sometimes only minor tweaks occur, but others need an entire rethink. We spend a lot of time testing and trying dishes. It normally starts with an idea and a group discussion and then someone will start chipping away at it and it comes together. I would say it takes somewhere between two and four weeks.”
The chef largely looks to his surrounds when it comes to spring inspiration, as well as proteins such as fish, lamb, and beef. “We always try to stay as local and as seasonal as possible,” says Lehmann. “When you think about spring, you think of flowers, which are beautiful to use in different ways.
“Last year we preserved plenty of nasturtium leaves and made vinegars from them, which we will use on this season’s menu. It’s good to move away from comfort foods like braised dishes and root vegetables to green asparagus, peas, and white garlic flowers, which we forage.”
Garlic flowers are indicative of spring but are fleeting when it comes to availability, only blooming for a matter of weeks. Lehmann plans to harvest as many as possible and incorporate them into a Wagyu tartare with salt-baked beetroot and a wild garlic emulsion. The tiny flowers are more pungent than they look, with the chef describing them as “not overpowering, but very garlicy. You need something that’s a bit fatty to stand up to the beef.”
White asparagus is another ingredient that’s in high demand and low supply each spring. It also has a short season in Lehmann’s home country, which is where he first developed an appreciation for the vegetable.
“White asparagus is very special in Germany and is something that stands out for me every year,” he says. “I came across some great batches two or three years ago, and it’s something I really enjoy working with. It’s about not overdoing it and just showcasing the asparagus with a nice butter sauce or some caviar. But every restaurant in the country wants white asparagus. Suddenly, it’s available, and you’re like, ‘Let’s go!’ You can’t really run trials before.”
The chef has also been considering a dessert that features lavender and honey sourced from the winery’s five beehives. “It will be something that’s completely produced and foraged locally,” he says. “The spring offering is a transitional menu that moves away from comfort into lighter flavours.”
