CHUCK HUGHES: Mild Pepper Spread – 375ml

Roasted pepper, turned into something useful

Chuck Hughes Mild Pepper Spread is a thick sweet-pepper spread with a touch of hot pepper from Montreal chef Chuck Hughes, made in Quebec — for grilled chicken, flatbread, pasta and cheese. This is sweet peppers and a touch of hot pepper cooked down into a thick, spreadable base — the kind of jar that quietly does the work of a lot of chopping and roasting you didn't have time for. Straight out of the Chuck Hughes playbook: big flavour, minimal ceremony.

The flavour

Sweet peppers carry the front, roasted and mellow, with a touch of hot pepper and garlic pushing gentle warmth through the middle. Vinegar and salt keep it bright rather than heavy, and the finish is mild — more warmth than heat, built to sit under other things rather than shout over them.

How to cook with it

• Stir through hot pasta as an instant sauce base
• Spread it thick on crusty bread or crackers next to cheese
• Add a spoonful to a cheese plate as the built-in condiment
• Fold into scrambled eggs or an omelette for a fast flavour hit
• Rogue move: whisk it into a vinaigrette for a smoky-sweet salad dressing

In the jar

A thick, spreadable, deep red-orange puree — smooth enough to knife onto bread but with enough body to hold its shape on a spoon, not a thin sauce.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Sweet peppers, Canola oil, Hot peppers, Spices, Minced garlic dehydrated, Vinegar, Salt, Calcium chloride, Sulphites.

Dietary: Vegan, gluten free and kosher (COR certified). Contains sulphites. Always check the physical label for the most accurate ingredient and allergen information.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Roasted sweet capsicum cooked down to a thick, gentle spread that saves you an hour of charring and peeling. I like it with lamb. Rub cutlets with Four Monkeys Lamb Rub, sear them fast, swipe this across the plate and finish with a spoon of Jimmy Chimichurri Hot. Sweet, herby and a little hot, and gone before the second round comes off the grill.

Questions answered

How hot is the Mild Pepper Spread?

Mild — there's a touch of hot pepper in there, but it reads as warmth rather than proper heat. It sits at 2 on our Sting Gauge.

How do I use it?

As a quick pasta sauce base, a spread on bread or crackers, or a standout on any cheese plate.

What allergens does it contain?

Contains sulphites. It's vegan, gluten free and kosher. Always check the physical label for the latest.