Citrique has unveiled the first in a series of collaborative Producer Spotlight menus, curated by executive chef Paul Smart alongside special guests, that are designed to shine a spotlight on underutilised seafood from local shores. The exquisite new menu, which launched on March 11, tells a compelling story of sustainability, rarity and culinary specialty. “Our collaboration with Umar Nguyen is the first in a series of ‘Producer Spotlight’ menus set to launch over the coming year at Citrique as a demonstration of our commitment to celebrating the finest local produce. Each menu will showcase a unique new ingredient captivating diners to join us on a new culinary journey. This new launch heralds a new era for Citrique as we continue to champion Australian’s bountiful seafood produce and experimentative flavours with subtle nods to Asia,” executive chef Paul Smart said.
The six-course culinary odyssey opens with a Rocky Point Aquaculture cobia – a rich, buttery fish complemented by tart flavours such as pepper sauce, caperberry, yuzu, sea blight, shiso and blue-scampi caviar. Next, diners can enjoy a taste of grouper, which is protected in the wild. This particular species is farmed by the experts who wrote the textbook on sustainable grouper farming, led by Serena Zipf, owner at Rocky Point Aquaculture. A rare opportunity to sample the delicacy, chef Paul and his team have prepared the dish with culinary mastery served with a butter sauce and scampi caviar to allow the flavour of the fish to shine through.
Crustacean lovers will appreciate the Fraser Isle spanner crab, which is served with green mango, coconut and tamarind. The circular dish utilises every part of the crab – including the shell itself – representing a marriage of experimental flavours and nuanced Asian cuisine. The true highlight of the menu is Umar’s passion project, a distinctly naturally blue coloured wild scampi caviar that is weaved throughout the dishes. The wild scampi is picked by hand and has become a highly sought after product across the country to enhance seafood dishes and other delicacies. The menu concludes with a perfectly balanced Cherry Illusion dessert served with black berries, cocoa meringue, vanilla cream and lemon balm crafted by the Citrique pastry team.
The Producer Spotlight menu will be available at Citrique from Mondays to Thursdays until the end of May 2024 for $129 per person (additional $59 per person for six-course wine pairing).
Image credit: Markus Ravik
