Gourmet Sandwich Hunt at South Melbourne Market
Before You Head In
A quick hello from Darren Purchese, celebrity chef, author, television personality and the designer of this experience.
On the Day: South Melbourne Market
- •Aim to arrive at South Melbourne Market between 9 and 11 am to settle in before the hunt kicks off. There is a paid rooftop carpark on Coventry Street, with metered and free parking options in the surrounding streets.
- •Expect to spend around 2 hours at the market, then head home for your cook along with Darren.
- •Hunt down each store below and collect everything on Darren's list — the logos will guide you.
📍 Stop 1
Your first stop — and the most important one.
Let them know you have an order under your name for AmazingCo. You'll each choose a bocadillo sandwich and hot drink to sit down and enjoy before the hunt begins.
Coventry Street, Stall 44.
Before you leave, ensure you pick up:
- Mini bottle of red wine vinegar
- Mini bottle of sherry vinegar
Darren's recommendation
The Little Wine Shop
Twenty-seven years, one devoted owner, and a world of wine, spirits and beers.
Aisle B, Stall 65
📍 Stop 2
A Michelin-trained pastry chef swapped fine dining for doughnuts in a tiny Yarraville shopfront.
Coventry Street, Stall 42.
- Baguette
- Large sourdough loaf
Darren's recommendation
In2Homewares
Gifts, ceramics and pottery — pop in for one thing, leave with five.
Corner Aisle C & Centre Aisle, Stall 193
📍 Stop 3
Two generations of one family, still cracking on at this very stall.
Aisle C, Stall 180.
- Olive oil
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Honey
Darren's recommendation
Mary Martin Bookshop
A cosy corner of the market filled with stories.
Aisle F, Stall 138
📍 Stop 4
A second-generation family butchery built on a love of organic produce.
Aisle B, Stall S1.
- Scotch fillet steaks — ask the butcher to slice them thinly
Darren's recommendation
Pickadeli
Produce, cake, and cheese tastings — you won't know what to pick first.
Aisle B, Stall S4
📍 Stop 5
A husband and wife's love of feeding people, now a four-daughter family affair.
Deli Aisle, Stall 7.
- Italian prosciutto
- Emmental cheese
- Manchego cheese
- Smoked paprika
- Salt flakes
Darren's recommendation
Agathé Pâtisserie
Fresh French pastries baked before your eyes. The queue says it all.
Aisle B, Stall 63
📍 Stop 6
If it's a hard-to-find ingredient, they've either got it or they'll hunt it down for you.
Coventry Street, Stall 46.
💡 Skip the queue! Tell a team member you're with AmazingCo.
- Lemon
- Green chilli
- Birdseye red chilli
- Cos lettuce
- Strawberries
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Bunch coriander
- Bunch oregano
- Bunch parsley
- Bunch mint
- Bunch thyme
Darren's recommendation
Atypic Chocolate
Unmissable artisan chocolate — you'll smell it before you see it.
Cecil St, Stall 88A
Got Everything? Let's Head Home
Double-check you've collected all the ingredients listed above before heading home to cook!
Cook With Darren
Follow Darren’s step-by-step cooking tutorials to turn your South Melbourne Market haul into some seriously delicious sandwiches.
Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 50 ml sherry vinegar
- 50 ml red wine vinegar
- Salt flakes
- Black pepper
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 garlic head
- ½ bunch coriander
- ½ bunch oregano
- ½ bunch parsley
- ½ bunch mint
- ½ bunch thyme
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 1 birdseye red chilli, finely chopped
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 180 ml olive oil, mild
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved (feel free to add more!)
- 2 steaks
- 2 eggs
- ½ lettuce
- 4 slices Emmental cheese
- Turkish loaf or white sourdough loaf
- 100 ml sherry vinegar
- 100 ml red wine vinegar
- Salt flakes
- Black pepper
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 garlic head
- 1 bunch coriander
- 1 bunch oregano
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 bunch thyme
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 2 green chilli, finely chopped
- 2 birdseye red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 360 ml olive oil, mild
- 20 cherry tomatoes, halved (feel free to add more!)
- 2 steaks
- 4 eggs
- 1 lettuce
- 8 slices Emmental cheese
- 2 Turkish loaves or white sourdough loaves
Method
Roasted tomatoes: Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the cherry tomatoes cut side up in a heatproof dish or on a baking paper-lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil, tuck in a few thin slices of garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour until soft and juicy, then remove and set aside. Tip: Short on time? You can also roast the tomatoes in a pan on the stovetop.
Chimichurri: While the tomatoes roast, combine the sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt in a jar, bowl or Tupperware. Add the red onion, 1 to 2 cloves of grated garlic, lemon zest and juice, finely chopped herbs, green chilli, birdseye red chilli and smoked paprika. Mix or shake well, then stir through the olive oil. Seal or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Steak: Brush steaks with olive oil and season with salt only (hold the pepper until after cooking to avoid it burning in the pan). Heat a cast-iron or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Cook steaks for about a minute on each side until nicely crusted. Remove from the heat, add pepper, and leave to rest for at least as long as you cooked them. Wipe the pan and keep it for the sandwiches.
Toast the bread: Cut the bread into thick slices and slice lengthwise. Drizzle a little oil in the pan and place both sides face down to toast lightly until warm and golden.
Assemble: In the pan, layer the bottom slice of bread with roasted tomatoes first (press them down gently so they soak into the bread), then lettuce, then steak. Drizzle over any resting juices and a spoonful of chimichurri. Top with Emmental slices and close the sandwich. Toast for a couple of minutes then flip to toast the top for another minute. Move to the side.
Fried eggs: In a clean cast-iron or non-stick pan, heat a little olive oil over low heat. Crack in the eggs and cook sunny side up until whites are set and yolk is still runny. Fold in the edges of the white to roughly match the shape of your bread. Season with salt and pepper.
Finish: Top each sandwich with a fried egg, a pinch of salt and pepper, and another drizzle of chimichurri. Serve immediately.
Extra chimichurri
Darren recommends storing your chimichurri in the fridge. It keeps well for 1 to 2 weeks. Great uses include:
- Drizzle over fish or lamb
- Toss through roasted vegetables or potatoes
- Spoon over scrambled eggs or a frittata
- Use as a marinade for chicken before grilling
- Stir through cooked grains like farro or quinoa for a quick salad
Simple smoked paprika spice rub
Mix 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ½ tsp brown sugar. Rub generously over chicken thighs, pork ribs, or lamb chops before grilling or roasting. Stir any leftover rub into 3 tbsp mayo for a quick smoky aioli.
While You Cook & Eat
Click below for some extra activities!
Keep the Cooking Going
There's one more recipe up your sleeve. Save it for tomorrow’s breakfast, lunch, or whenever it suits you.
Strawberry & Prosciutto Sandwich
Ingredients
- 40 ml olive oil
- 60 g strawberries, sliced
- 6 prosciutto slices
- 100 g manchego, sliced
- Honey
- Salt flakes
- Baguette
- 80 ml olive oil
- 120 g strawberries, sliced
- 12 prosciutto slices
- 200 g manchego, sliced
- Honey
- Salt flakes
- 2 baguettes
Method
Preheat a toasted sandwich press or pan over medium heat.
Drizzle olive oil inside the baguette and place it onto a grill or into the pan to char and toast slightly.
Remove the bread and arrange the sliced strawberries, prosciutto, and manchego inside each piece.
Add a drizzle of honey and a pinch of salt flakes to each sandwich, close, and rub olive oil on the outside of each baguette. Heat in the sandwich press or pan until crispy on the outside. Remove, add another drizzle of honey and salt, cut in half and serve.