These recipes up the chilli, and the ante. Be they fiery birdseyes, jalapeños or long green numbers, chillies in fresh, pickled and dried form bring fire and thrill to your cooking. Time to turn up the heat.
Spice-roasted tomatoes, chickpeas and chilli
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Thai chilli and mango mud crab
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Una Más’ grilled octopus with fermented chilli
Photo: Con Poulos


Photo: Chris Court

Mat Lindsay’s roasted pineapple with chilli salt
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Tomato-chilli vongole with tomato crumbs
Photo: Chris Chen

Photo: Luke Burgess

Chicken, prawn and chilli pot stickers
Photo: James Moffat

Calamari, pomelo and chilli salad
Photo: Chris Chen

Amy Chanta’s guide to making som dtum Thai (green papaya salad)
Photo: John Paul Urizar

Roast ocean trout with chilli-turmeric paste
Photo: James Moffatt

Alex Davies’ baked burrata with marinated zucchini and fermented chilli
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Chilli-rosemary prawns with butter
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Victor Liong’s Sichuan sour and spicy poached fish with pickled mustard greens
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Bucatini with prawn fra diavolo
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Photo: Alicia Taylor


Linguine with chilli and rocket
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Photo: Anson Smart

Phil Wood’s braised broccoli with butter beans, chickpeas and chilli
Photo: Mark Roper

Bar Alto’s mussels with chilli, garlic and white wine
Photo: William Meppem

Louis Tikaram’s Mooloolaba prawn ceviche with green chilli dressing
Photo: Kara Rosenlund

La Casita’s grilled pineapple with mulato chilli and pineapple granita
Photo: Kara Rosenlund

Photo: Craig Wall

Bar Rochford’s garfish with sauce chien and habanero
Photo: Mark Roper

Whole roasted cauliflower with fermented chilli butter
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Banana-blossom salad with pineapple-chilli dressing
Photo: William Meppem

Dosai with coconut, ginger and green chilli chutney
Photo: William Meppem

Grilled flank with tomatoes and chilli-tamarind dressing
Photo: William Meppem

Photo: William Meppem

Grilled lamb cutlets with yoghurt and fresh chilli chutney
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Grilled lobster tails with roast chilli butter and corn salad
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Spiced chicken with carrot, chickpea and green chilli salad
Photo: William Meppem

T-bones with pickled chilli, corn and avocado
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Photo: William Meppem

Napier Quarter’s squid-ink spaghetti with cuttlefish, green pea and chilli
Photo: Mark Roper