Millbrook puts ‘love and passion’ into Sunday lunch

The culinary team at five-star the Millbrook Resort in Queensland is putting the ‘love and passion’ into dishes served at the historic Millhouse restaurant.

With early morning frosts and snow on the mountain tops heralding the winter to come, executive chef Russell Heron has drawn on the comfortable, cosy ambience of the old-style brick and wood building for inspiration for a new Sunday lunch menu.

“Picture a roaring log fire, the warmest of welcomes, and groups of friends or families relaxing over a leisurely lunch,” he said. “The aim is to deliver a really relaxing dining experience for guests, for locals, for families or visiting skiers.

“We truly offer an alpine experience like no other, with the beautiful Millhouse pond that freezes over in winter, snow on the ground and the most amazing mountain views.”

The resulting Sunday lunch menu is full of hearty winter dishes full of warmth and sustenance, all created with local produce.

The menu features roasts that change each week, all using local organic meats, each served with a choice of accompaniments cooked to order.

What Russell describes as “melt in the mouth” meats such as lamb stuffed with olives and sun dried tomato, pork with crispy crackling and apple and sage stuffing, or local free range half-chicken can be dressed with a range of fresh sauces.

Accompaniments include dishes such as sautéed mushrooms, pine nut and rocket salad with parmesan dressing, one of wilted baby spinach, green beans and lemon, or honey roast root vegetables.

Desserts are definitely of the ‘comfort’ variety, such as warm chocolate fudge cake with vanilla bean ice cream and fudge sauce, a superb lemon tart with candied citrus fruits, or bread and butter pudding with marmalade cream.

“The aim is to make people so comfortable and happy that they never want to leave, but when they do, they definitely want to come back,” said Russell.

“Sundays will be very family orientated, perfect for special gatherings and fantastic for locals.

“Everything’s made in our kitchen, cooked with a lot of love and passion, and the delivery is something very special too,” he said.

For more information, visit millbrook.co.nz.