Estate in Coogee unveils its Big Mac-inspired risotto

You only need to look at the spread of the cheeseburger spring roll to know Sydney loves a repurposed fast-food staple. But a Big Mac-inspired risotto is a bridge too far, surely? Not according to the team at Estate, which opened under the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Coogee in March.

Estate chef Matthew Butcher is recreating the dish made famous by Ryan Clift at Singapore's Tippling Club. Priced at $26, it'll have a two-month stay on the Estate Kitchen menu.

Butcher, who worked with Clift at Tippling Club and Vue de Monde and describes him as a mentor, says Estate is keen to make a hero of American classics.

Expect dishes such as mac and cheese (lobster optional) and cobb salad, with pumpkin pie to finish.

Clift tells Good Food he created the dish because customers in Asia always want a rice option on the menu.

"The base tastes exactly like you're eating a Big Mac and this comes from the secret sauce recipe that we use that we actually fluked making from the original Big Mac sauce recipe."

Key to recreating the flavour is using a specific mustard – but Clift isn't about to divulge its identity.

"The risotto is then topped with wagyu beef and then a homemade cheese. Lettuce is stirred through the risotto, which provides crunch, and it's topped with fermented cucumbers, dill and sesame seeds," Clift explains.