Right in the midst of Adelaide’s clubbing arena there’s a fried chicken joint flipping fast-food on its head.
If you’re on a gluten-free diet, whether by choice or by necessity, you’re probably well aware of fast food’s usual guarantee of being packed with gluten. It’s baked into the burger buns and mixed through the batter. Not even the deep fryer is safe.
But if you or your friends are after some of Adelaide’s most mouthwatering fried chicken that doesn’t have gluten in it, this is the event for you.
For one special Tuesday night in May, Motherlode is turning up the heat for its coeliac friends, flipping the entire menu on its head so they can enjoy all their favourite dishes, completely worry-free and gluten-free.
The second instalment of ‘Motherlode goes: Gluten-Free’ is set for Tuesday, 13 May from 5 – 9pm. They’ll be serving up every single item that’s normally on the menu, but 100% coeliac friendly.
How can you be sure it’s safe? Owner Chet O’Brien-Tilbrook explains.
“The event is on a Tuesday night, and because we don’t trade Sunday, Monday – we’re able to start packing everything down Saturday after service,” Chet said.
“Monday we’ll scrub the kitchen, discard the oil in the fryers and give them a good clean,” he continued. “Come Tuesday, all the fresh stock arrives and we’re able to prep for the night in a wheat free kitchen!”
“We also totally clean the fryer baskets, leaving them to soak in heavy cleaning chemicals overnight so that all the hard-to-get bits are gone,” Chet continued.
Gracing the spotless deep fryers are gluten-free takes on all their cult classics. Crunchy fried chicken, golden crispy cauliflower, stacked sandos, and fiery hot chicken and waffles, all reimagined without sacrificing flavour or crunch.
“The main foundation of our chicken is the crumb, which comes from the seasonings we use,” Chet shared.
“We experimented a lot with different gluten-free flours to try and keep the crunch as close to what we would normally serve.”
Chet said the trickiest part was perfecting the waffle batter for the hot chicken and waffles, but after feedback from the first event, the team’s feeling pretty confident they’ve nailed it.
The venue’s recurring gluten-free event is an instalment that’s especially close to the team’s values.
“A part of our ethos is to try and be as inclusive to all dietaries as we possibly can,” Chet said. “We’re a nut-free kitchen, our chicken is Halal, and we don’t use pork products. We cater to vegans with a dedicated vegan fryer, and have options for lots of niche dietaries and allergies!”
The team has said they’d love to make it a monthly affair, and you might even see another gluten-free event pop-up soon after the May date. Keep your eyes peeled.
The event is part of a series of dinners labeled ‘Motherlode Goes’, where each dedicated night explores a different theme aligning with the venue’s ethos.
It all started out with ‘Motherlode goes: Home’, a nostalgic menu rooted in the 80s, taking on the chef’s childhood home cooked meals. You know, the kind that will always be close to your heart because they were cooked by your ‘rents.
Next, came ‘Motherlode goes: To the pub’; it was the venue’s take on pub classics like schnitzels, which Chet says are “basically giant chicken nuggets.”
‘Motherlode goes: Diggin’ thru the crates’ saw the venue base their entire menu on hip hop records from the past three decades. Mm..Food (any MF DOOM fans out there?).
Now it’s round two for Motherlode’s gluten-free night, so rally your gluten-free mates and dig into a seriously impressive fried chicken menu, completely free of that pesky gluten.
Motherlode goes: Gluten-Free #2
Where: 142 Hindley St, Adelaide
When: Tuesday, 13 May 5 – 9pm
For more information, click here.
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