Missing the flavour of Taste Great Southern already? Why not bring one of 2026’s favourite recipes to your home, thanks to Mt Barker Chicken; the Great Southern’s premium free-range chicken supplier, and Luke Foyle (Juanita’s).
A crowd favourite at the Taste Market, this BBQ Mt Barker free-range chicken thigh, topped with gremolata and crispy curry leaf crumb is perfect to make at home and is guaranteed to impress guests.
So why not give it a go!
INGREDIENTS
Brine
- 1L water
- 50g salt
- 50g brown sugar
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 1⁄2 bay leaves
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 4-5 Mt Barker boneless chicken thighs
Chicken marinade
- 1 onion
- 5 garlic gloves
- 2.5cm ginger
- 1 1⁄2 lemongrass stalks
- 1 1⁄2 red chillies deseeded
- ¼ cup curry leaves
- 1⁄2 cup cooking oil
- Salt and pepper
- 4-5 Mt Barker boneless chicken thighs
Gremolata
- 1 cup picked flat-lead parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
BBQ glaze (tare)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 tbsp cup sake
- 2 tbsp cup water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Curry leaf crumb
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp cup curry leaves, chopped
METHOD
At least 2 days before serving, combine all brine ingredients except chicken in a pot and bring to the boil. Chill in the fridge until cold. When cold, add the chicken and leave to brine overnight. The next day, remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with paper towel.
Chop all marinade ingredients except chicken very fine or blend in a food processor. Heat the oil slightly and pout over the ingredients until very soft. Season with salt, pepper and chilli. Add brined chicken to the marinade for 24-48 hours.
For the gremolata, place parsley, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in a blender, blending to a paste and adding olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the tare, combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced to about ⅓ of the original volume. Store in the fridge until ready to use (it will keep for up to 3 months).
For the curry leaf crumb, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add panko and stir continuously until golden brown. Remove from heat and add chopped curry leaves. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool on paper towel.
To serve, BBQ the chicken thighs, turning regularly and brushing with tare each time. When cooked, allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the thighs, brush with extra tare, place spoonfuls of gremolata over top and finish with a generous sprinkle of curry leaf crumb.
Snap some photos of your tasty creations and tag @tastegreatsouthern!
Learn more about the Great Southern’s premium free-range chicken supplier Mt Barker here.
