This is article is sponsored by Crown Melbourne.
When it comes to executing the technicality of a soufflé or balancing the delicate flavours of a steak tartare, few can rival the finesse of Guillaume Brahimi.
After entering the Australian dining scene in the 1990s, Brahimi was quick to make his culinary mark. Putting haute cuisine back in the spotlight with Guillaume at Bennelong located in the Sydney Opera House, Brahimi has since moved on to launch an eponymous collective of bistros with his most iconic being Bistro Guillaume at Crown Melbourne.
Inspired by the eateries of the Parisian arrondissements, Bistro Guillaume offers French classics that champion fresh Australian produce — an approach he also applies to his cooking at home.
“When I cook, my favourite dishes are dependent on which season it is,” Brahimi says. “I love making simple salads with the produce of the season. Spring you think about asparagus whereas in winter, you think about celeriac, quinoa, tahini and herbs.”
Salt baked beetroot, figs, radicchio and Meredith goats curd — Brahimi’s take on a seasonal winter salad — at Bistro Guillaume Melbourne
‘Linner’ is a Brahimi Sunday family tradition, or as the chef likes to refer to it: ‘a Brahmi entertaining ritual’.
A weekly gathering of family and friends, the chef favours an easy-to-prepare menu and encourages his guests to help him out in the kitchen. The menu, again, seasonal: seafood in summer; a hearty vegetable risotto in autumn; a fine piece of wagyu beef come winter; and a roast leg of lamb in spring.
Brahimi’s favourite dishes are reflective of his upbringing. A favourite: succulent roast chicken, a dinner his mother used to cook for him as a child.
Noting the dish as his “security blanket”, Brahimi believes there is nothing better than the fragrance of an oven-roasted bird — particularly after a tough day. For added comfort, Brahimi serves with fluffy mounds of Paris mash.
With local produce and simplicity at the forefront of Brahimi’s favourite at-home eats, it comes as no surprise that dessert follows a similar suit. “I love to cook tarte Tatin or lemon tart, even a clafoutis,” Brahimi says.
But for the Parisian, the versatility of a soufflé serves as a standout. Blending tart passionfruit and creamy vanilla flavours, Brahimi’s signature passionfruit soufflé with vanilla Anglaise is the only way to end a home-cooked meal.
Brahimi’s passionfruit soufflé with vanilla Anglaise
Bistro Guillaume. Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, Vic, (03) 9292 5777, crownmelbourne.com.au
