Dinner & Dessert 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 12 and 1 pm 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.
  • Complete the hunt first, then sit down for a bite to eat at the market between 2 and 4 pm before heading home for your cook along with Darren.
  • Hunt down each store below and collect everything on Darren's list — the logos will guide you.

💡 Tip: If you'd like a market map to help you navigate, head to the Market Office at the corner of Aisle F and Centre Aisle.

South Melbourne Market map

📍 Stop 1

Babe's Eggs

Two generations of one family, still cracking on at this very stall

Aisle C, Stall 180.

  • Unsalted butter
  • Thickened cream
Mary Martin Bookshop

Darren's recommendation

Mary Martin Bookshop

A cosy corner of the market filled with stories

Aisle F, Stall 138

📍 Stop 2

Hagen's Organic Meat

A second-generation family butchery built on a love of organic produce

Aisle B, Stall S1.

  • Chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
Pickadeli

Darren's recommendation

Pickadeli

Produce, cake, and cheese tastings — you won't know what to pick first

Aisle B, Stall S4

📍 Stop 3

Nutshoppe

Started in a single Oakleigh shop in the 80s, now roasting through the market

Coventry Street, Stall 1.

  • Almond flakes
  • Castor sugar
  • Brown rice
Cobb Lane

Darren's recommendation

Cobb Lane

The best bread at the market

Coventry Street, Stall 42

📍 Stop 4

Fruits on Coventry

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.

  • Limes
  • Lemon
  • Bunch Thai basil
  • Birdseye chilli
  • Bunch coriander
  • Bunch spring onions
  • Lime leaves
  • Stalk lemongrass
  • Garlic head
  • Knob of ginger

Optional: pick up some greens to serve with dinner. Darren recommends broccoli or snake beans!

Agathé Pâtisserie

Darren's recommendation

Agathé Pâtisserie

Fresh French pastries baked before your eyes. The queue says it all

Aisle B, Stall 63

📍 Stop 5

Pizzateca Lupa

Time for a well-earned bite! Sit back and relax at one of Darren's favourite spots, Pizzateca Lupa.

Aim to arrive between 2 and 4 pm. Let them know you have a booking under your name for AmazingCo. You'll choose:

  • A Margherita, Calabrese or Norma pizza, or two antipasto of the day to share
  • A glass of wine, beer or soft drink each

Corner of Coventry Street & Cecil Street, Store 53.

Chef's Hat

Darren's recommendation

Chef's Hat

Australia's largest family-owned hospitality supplier, worth a browse for kitchenware and the perfect spot to find glass serveware for tonight's dessert recipe

131 Cecil St, South Melbourne (directly across the road)


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 and recipes to turn your market haul into a delicious dinner and dessert spread tonight.

We recommend making the posset dessert first, as it needs 2–3 hours to set in the fridge. Get it chilling before you start on dinner.

Lemon Posset with Almond Tuile

Ingredients

Lemon Posset

  • 300 ml thickened cream
  • 75 g castor sugar
  • Zest of ½ lemon, finely grated
  • 20 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Almond Tuile

  • 30 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 30 g castor sugar
  • Zest of ½ lemon, finely grated
  • 40 g blanched almond flakes
  • 8 g plain flour

Lemon Posset

  • 600 ml thickened cream
  • 150 g castor sugar
  • 1 lemon, zest finely grated
  • 40 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Almond Tuile

  • 60 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 60 g castor sugar
  • 1 lemon, zest finely grated
  • 80 g blanched almond flakes
  • 15 g plain flour

Method

1

Start the posset: Combine cream, sugar and lemon zest in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves — do not allow it to boil.

2

Add lemon: Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice until thoroughly combined.

3

Set: Pour into glasses and refrigerate for 2–3 hours until set.

4

Tuile mix: Combine all tuile ingredients in a bowl and stir with a spatula until well mixed. Preheat oven to 180°C.

5

Flatten: Spoon half the mixture onto a sheet of baking paper and place another sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to roll as thin as possible between the two sheets. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

6

Bake the tuiles: Remove from the fridge and peel off the top sheet of paper. Place on an oven tray and bake for 10–12 minutes until golden brown and the nuts are toasted. Leave to cool on the tray, then break into irregular pieces.

7

Store the tuile mix: The uncooked mix keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To cook from cold, warm gently in the microwave for 10–20 seconds to loosen, then proceed as above. Cooked tuile keeps in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

8

Serve: When ready to serve, top each posset with whipped cream, fresh lemon zest and pieces of almond tuile.

Thai Chicken Tray Bake

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1 birdseye chilli (more if you like it hot)
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 2 lime leaves, finely shredded
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar, chopped
  • ½ stalk lemongrass, bruised and finely chopped
  • 1½ cloves garlic, grated or chopped
  • ½ knob ginger (approx. 2 cm), grated or chopped
  • 1½ tbsp fish sauce
  • 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • ¾ tbsp sesame oil

Chicken & To Serve

  • 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • Small bunch Thai basil
  • Small bunch coriander
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced
  • 1 birdseye chilli, finely sliced
  • Brown rice, to serve
  • Lime wedges, to serve
  • Greens, to serve (optional)

Marinade

  • 2 birdseye chillies (more if you like it hot)
  • 4 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 4 lime leaves, finely shredded
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar, chopped
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
  • 1 knob ginger (approx. 4 cm), grated or chopped
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1½ tbsp sesame oil

Chicken & To Serve

  • 8 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
  • 1–2 limes, juiced
  • Small bunch Thai basil
  • Small bunch coriander
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1–2 birdseye chillies, finely sliced
  • Brown rice, to serve
  • Lime wedges, to serve
  • Greens, to serve (optional)

Method

1

Marinade: Combine chillies, lime leaves, palm sugar, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, spring onions, fish sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well until the palm sugar dissolves completely and the flavours come together.

2

Prepare the chicken: Use a small knife to partially loosen the bone and flatten each thigh so it cooks evenly and crisps up beautifully. Keep the bone in for juicier, more deeply flavoured meat — the bone retains heat and releases collagen as it cooks.

3

Preheat oven to 180°C.

4

Marinate: Add the chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have time — the longer the better.

5

Roast: Arrange the chicken skin-side up in a roasting pan and pour over all the marinade. Roast for 30 minutes, then increase to 220°C and roast for a further 10–15 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden, the meat is cooked through, and the pan is full of fragrant cooking juices. 💡 Now is a good time to get your rice cooking so it's ready to serve. Cook as much as you'd like for dinner.

6

Rest: Remove from the oven and squeeze over the lime juice. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving — this keeps it juicy.

7

Serve: Spoon the chicken and its aromatic juices over brown rice. Add blanched greens if using, then scatter generously with Thai basil, coriander, spring onion and extra chilli. Serve with lime wedges on the side.


While You Cook & Eat

Click below for some extra activities!

Dinner & Dessert Games