ACIDE: Chilli Crisp Giardiniera

The antipasto jar with a chilli-crisp habit

Classic Italian giardiniera is crunchy pickled veg for an antipasto board. ACIDE took that idea and ran it through a wok. Cauliflower, carrot, celery, capsicum and wombok get the vinegar-pickle treatment, then whole peanuts and a house-made chilli crisp go in on top — so what lands in the jar is part pickle, part condiment, and a lot louder than anything your nonna kept in the pantry.

The flavour

Vinegar-bright and crunchy up front — cauliflower, carrot and celery still with real snap, capsicum and wombok softening the edges. The middle is where the jalapeño lands: a green, grassy heat that builds rather than bites. Then the house chilli crisp takes the finish — toasty chilli oil, crushed peanuts and a savoury umami depth that keeps the whole jar tasting more like a condiment than a side.

How to cook with it

• Spoon it straight over cold cuts on a board — the chilli-oil slick does the job of both a pickle and a dressing in one go.
• Build the roll it was made for: split and toast a Turkish roll, lay in a melting cheese, then pile the giardiniera on hot so the crisp goes glossy.
• Chop it rough and fold it through a cold pasta or potato salad for instant heat, crunch and acid.
• Drain a few spoonfuls and scatter over a pizza fresh out of the oven — a spicy, crunchy answer to hot honey.
• Rogue move: don't waste the chilli-crisp oil at the bottom of the jar. Spoon it over fried eggs or a bowl of noodles.

In the jar

A tumble of cauliflower florets, carrot coins, celery, capsicum and wombok packed tight under a slick of red chilli-crisp oil, with whole peanuts and jalapeño rounds through it. The veg holds its crunch and the oil layer sits on top the way a good chilli crisp should — give it a stir before you serve.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Apple cider vinegar, Filtered water, Cauliflower, Celery, Carrots, Jalapeño, Wombok, Capsicum, Peanuts, Chilli crisp (Rapeseed oil, Peanuts, Chilli, Soybeans, Salt, Onion, Sugar, MSG, Spice).

Dietary: Contains peanuts and soy. No gluten-containing ingredients and suitable for vegetarians — but it is built around peanuts and a soy-based chilli crisp, so keep it well away from anyone with a peanut or soy allergy. Always check the physical label.

FAQ

How hot is it? Medium. The jalapeño and chilli crisp give a proper, building warmth, but it's about flavour and crunch more than pain.

Does it really have peanuts in it? Yes — whole peanuts plus a peanut-and-soy chilli crisp are core to the recipe. Keep it well away from anyone with a peanut or soy allergy.

Is it gluten free? There are no gluten-containing ingredients listed, but ACIDE don't carry a certified gluten-free claim, so we list it as gluten friendly. Always check the physical label.

What do I actually do with it? Treat it like a spicy antipasto that's crossed paths with chilli crisp: on charcuterie, in a cheese roll, over eggs, noodles or pizza. And don't tip the oil.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Word from the docks — this is the jar that turns a cheese board into a crime scene (empty plate, no witnesses). Or run it on a burger: Low N Slow Basics Beef Bounce on the patty, a slick of Blues Hog Original, then a heaped spoon of this instead of relish. Chilli, crunch and that peanut-crisp finish. Don't you dare tip the oil.