La grande maison

Chef ADAM SANDERSON lets the produce shine in the recipes that have become standouts at Melbourne's fancy French mecca, Maison Bâtard.

- MICHAEL HARDEN

Simplicity is not the first descriptor that comes to mind for Maison Bâtard. Melbourne's lavish, multilevel ode to Paris, and the recipient of our 2025 Best New Restaurant award, is unashamedly about French glamour. But as Bâtard's executive chef Adam Sanderson explains, the ingredients are the real star.

"Good quality produce sings out loud for itself, and simplicity is the best way to showcase that," says Sanderson. "Our approach is sourcing and using the best produce we can, complementing that with good cooking, but always ensuring that the food doesn't look too complex. Our approach here is to lighten things up a bit. We lean on French technique but make the dishes fresher with less emphasis on cream and butter."

The recipes Sanderson has supplied for our French issue come directly from the menus at Maison Bâtard, both from the main street-level dining room and the rooftop bar, La Terrasse. Happily, they've been created with the home cook in mind who may not have access to equipment like the wall-sized rotisserie that's the centrepiece of Bâtard's open kitchen.

"The recipe for chicken can be successfully done in the oven," confirms Sanderson. "I've also tested it in an air fryer and it comes out brilliantly."

Meanwhile, "instead of spending hours making them from scratch at home," he recommends buying ingredients such as chilli oil or gelato. "Again, just like with all the produce in these recipes, it comes down to keeping things simple and buying the best ingredients you can."

maisonbatard.com.au

TARTARE DE THON ET AVOCAT

Spicy tuna tartare

SERVES 4 AS A STARTER // PREP 15 MINS