How Australia’s Top Chefs Are Using Spring’s Fresh Produce – Part 2

By Marie-Antoinette Issa.

This month, Australia’s best Chefs are letting Spring’s freshest produce take centre stage. In this second instalment of our series, we peek inside the pantries and gardens of the country’s culinary creatives to see exactly how they’re transforming the season’s bounty into dishes that celebrate colour, taste and pure joy.

At Bellevue Woolloomooloo, Antoine Moscovitz is focused on Spring lamb, which he describes as "unbeatable at 3-5 months old - so tender, buttery and full of delicate flavour." 

 

One of his favourite ways to prepare the dish is with cumquat zest. "I love serving it with young ‘Aquadulce’ broad beans, then adding just a touch of cumquat zest to brighten the plate with a hint of citrus.

"For me, Spring is all about simplicity. Another one of my go-to dishes is compressed watermelon on a raspberry coulis - it’s fresh, vibrant and lets the season speak for itself.” 

 

Sri Lankan-born Chef Nip Liyanapathirana brings bold tropical flavours to Spring with his coconut mussel curry. "Australia has an incredible variety of mussels and Spring is the perfect time to enjoy them at their plump, juicy best,” he explains.

 

The dish layers rich coconut milk with Sri Lankan raw curry powder, fresh curry leaves and mustard oil for brightness. "This dish is rich with coconut milk, spiced with more than seven different spices from Sri Lankan raw curry powder, fresh curry leaves and aromatics from the subcontinent and infused with mustard oil for a bright, punchy kick.

"The combination of creamy coconut and mustard creates a fresh, vibrant flavour that works beautifully with any seafood dish.” 

For Chef Gigi Pozzoli, basil is the star herb of Spring and Summer. "Basil is my go-to herb for Spring and Summer. I love using it in a Ligurian pesto pasta, with trofie, green beans and potatoes.”

 

Gigi isn’t afraid to innovate with basil either: "For something refreshing, you can’t beat basil gelato, which we sell as a flavour called Genoa.” This unexpected use transforms a classic herb into a sweet, icy treat that refreshes the palate, demonstrating how Spring’s fresh herbs can be versatile and exciting.

In Adelaide, Executive Chef Rishabh Sharma is celebrating the fleeting season of blood oranges. "One standout creation is my blood orange and pistachio tiramisu, where the citrus’s zesty brightness meets the creamy richness of mascarpone and the nutty crunch of pistachios."

 

To enhance the dessert’s aromatic layers, he grates fresh blood orange zest straight into the mascarpone, releasing fragrant oils that infuse every layer. He also adds a splash of orange blossom water into the sponge fingers soak, adding a delicate floral lift. The result is a dessert that feels light yet indulgent - a perfect reflection of Spring’s freshness.

Bektas Ozcan at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth highlights the nutty sweetness of freshly harvested Romanesco this Spring. He pan-roasts it and pairs it with seasonal white strawberry chutney, creme fraîche and roasted hazelnuts, finishing with a light French vinaigrette.

 

"It’s a dish that captures Sofitel’s French elegance while celebrating Australia’s incredible local produce - a true meeting of Paris and the Pacific." Bektas encourages pairing Spring vegetables with unexpected fruit notes, from strawberries to citrus, for bursts of freshness that surprise and delight. This dish is a sophisticated take on the season’s best produce.

At Melbourne’s Lexy, Head Chef Oak Kunnalok leans heavily into fresh herbs this Spring, particularly sawtooth coriander. "This Spring, I’m leaning into fresh herbs, especially sawtooth coriander for its bold, citrusy edge. We use it in our smoked duck claypot rice with a funky budu sauce, layering fresh, punchy flavours over crispy claypot rice.”

 

Oak swears by the combo of fresh herbs and fermented sauces, which "gives you brightness, umami and texture without overcomplicating the dish." His cooking captures Spring’s vibrancy with layers of flavour that keep diners coming back for more.

Viva Melbourne’s Head Chef Kris Scott is excited about shiitake mushrooms in what he predicts will be a shiitake-friendly rainy Spring. "Shiitake: a natural umami hack of glutamates and guanylates (a little goes a long way.) We’ve got a rainy Spring ahead this year, which is huge news for shiitake (they’re also naturally antimicrobial and fight off respiratory infections)."

 

At Viva, shiitakes are thinly sliced into crisps and the trimmings are whipped into a compound butter served with Westholme Wagyu rump cap. Kris’s tip: "Reduce shiitake, shallots and soy sauce, cool, blitz, add cold butter. Blitz: shiitake butter." His techniques bring umami depth and seasonal comfort to the menu.

No Spring Chef list is complete without Matt Moran, who keeps things timeless. "I love the change in season. Spring’s one of my favourite times of year and it’s when asparagus is at its best. I like to char it over coals on the barbeque and serve it with a classic Hollandaise. It’s simple cooking, but when the produce’s this good, that’s all you need.”

 

For something different, he suggests trying asparagus with soft-boiled eggs or shaved Parmesan. Matt also recommends using the Saveful app to discover what’s in season and explore thousands of ways to use fresh produce, making seasonal cooking accessible and exciting.

For Chef Julian Nicholas, Spring means one thing: sugar snap peas. "They’re one of my favourite ingredients to work with this season,” he says. He loves pairing their crisp sweetness with lamb rump, couscous tabouli, smoked eggplant labneh and pickled onions - a combination that balances fresh, smoky and vibrant flavours while playing with textures that really capture the spirit of spring.

 

His go-to technique is tossing whole sugar snaps in olive oil, seasoning them lightly, then grilling over medium-high heat just long enough to get a gentle char while keeping their snap.

"For extra colour and sweetness, I also quickly blanch for 30 seconds followed by an ice bath to help set the bright green colour and intensify the natural sweetness of the sugar snaps,” he adds.