Asparagus Spring Salad with Rocket, Goat's Cheese
Dianne Russell
2 August 2026
9:05am
1 comment
Kitchen
Home / Journal / Asparagus Spring Salad with Rocket, Goat's Cheese
Marron is forgiving if you respect two things: heat and timing. We take the tail out of the shell, rest it briefly, then finish it quickly in brown butter so the flesh stays sweet and just set. Anything longer and it turns tough.
We pair it with whatever is brightest that week, usually a native citrus or a sharp herb oil, so the marron stays the point of the dish rather than getting lost under a heavy sauce. It is the same thinking behind most of our menu: one or two good ideas on a plate, not ten.
“ Good produce needs very little done to it. Our job is mostly restraint. ”
If you are cooking marron at home, the brown butter trick works at any scale. Melt butter slowly until it smells nutty, then cook the tail cut side down for under two minutes. Rest it, then serve straight away.
Tags:
Marron
Technique
Seasonal
Dianne Russell
Writes and cooks from the Wattlebird pass; notes like this one come from whoever is on shift that week.
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Marron turns up on our pass most nights of the week, and it is the dish people ask us about most. Here is how we think about it, and why we keep the cooking simple.
Marron is forgiving if you respect two things: heat and timing. We take the tail out of the shell, rest it briefly, then finish it quickly in brown butter so the flesh stays sweet and just set. Anything longer and it turns tough.
We pair it with whatever is brightest that week, usually a native citrus or a sharp herb oil, so the marron stays the point of the dish rather than getting lost under a heavy sauce. It is the same thinking behind most of our menu: one or two good ideas on a plate, not ten.
If you are cooking marron at home, the brown butter trick works at any scale. Melt butter slowly until it smells nutty, then cook the tail cut side down for under two minutes. Rest it, then serve straight away.
“Good produce needs very little done to it. Our job is mostly restraint.”
We change this dish with the seasons, but the method rarely does. Come in on a Thursday and you will usually find a version of it on the mains list.
From the Wattlebird kitchenNotes like this one are written by whoever is on the pass that week. Have a question about a dish? Ask us next time you're in.
