MEET THE CHICKEN SALT KING!
Peter’s delicious invention has been enjoyed for five decades
For many, it’s a pantry staple or the perfect addiction to hot chips, but for Peter Brinkworth, chicken salt is his life’s work. “I’m very proud that there are so many people out there who like it,” Peter, 81, tells Woman’s Day from his home in Gawler, South Australia.
As we chat, Peter’s preparing a lamb braise for his family and has put a “whole heap” of chicken salt in it. “It’ll be the best lamb braise you’ll ever taste,” he laughs.
Peter opened his chicken shop and wholesale food business in the 1960s, and soon began mixing up his first batches of the legendary seasoning, which was created to make his hot chickens even tastier.
“Some of the guys we would deliver fresh chicken to heard about the salt and wanted to try it. One of them put it on chips and it went crazy!” he remembers.
Peter and his wife Helen sold the business to the Mitani family, the food manufacturing company, in 1979.
“The name ‘chicken salt’ probably wasn’t even mentioned in the contract, it just happened to be a part of the business,” he says. “I’ve got to give Mitani the credit, as they made it what it is today.”
Fifty years on, Peter has no idea how long it took him to perfect the recipe and believes it was just a trial-and-error process.
“By the success of it today, I think I must have had a good palate in those days,” he jokes.
Peter still makes the salt from scratch, now adding a little more paprika than in his original recipe.
However, he maintains that steak is the ideal food for the seasoning.
‘One person put it on their chips and it went crazy’
“Take your steak out of the fridge, put a rub of chicken salt on it – remember it’s only 50 per cent salt so you can put double the amount on, leave it for 10 minutes to help it come to room temperature and then cook it,” says Peter.
He’s not so keen on the idea of people putting the salt on popcorn – “sounds a bit over the top” – and is unsure about tasting chicken salt beer, which is a staple at his local pub.
The never-before-told story surrounding his creation has been captured in a short film, Salt Of The Earth, which premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival this month.
Peter’s newfound fame has left his family amused but proud. Helen responded with delight to the news that the film would be screened.
“She gave me a kiss and said, “I’ve just kissed a movie star!’”
Salt Of The Earth will be available online in mid-2023 following an international film festival run.