DC CARTEL: The Original 1983- Limited Release Crispy Chilli Oil - 268g

The chilli oil that goes on everything

Dulcie's 1983 is the multi-award-winning original — a slow-cooked crispy chilli oil built on a 40-year-old family recipe (Gold at both the Melbourne and Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards 2024). Deep-fried shallots and garlic, an assorted blend of dried chillies and warm spice, all suspended in oil. It's the jar that quietly ends up on every plate in the house.

The flavour

It opens savoury and toasty — fried shallot and garlic crackling up front — then a warm, building chilli heat rolls through the middle while fennel, cinnamon and Szechuan pepper hum underneath. It finishes long, savoury and moreish, with just enough tingle to keep you going back for another spoon.

How to cook with it

• Spoon it straight over fried or poached eggs and smashed avo for an instant breakfast upgrade.
• Stir a heaped spoon through noodles, fried rice or ramen right at the end so the crunch survives.
• Drizzle over pizza and pasta the second they hit the table.
• Crown grilled meats, dumplings or roast veg as a finishing oil straight off the BBQ.
• Give the jar a proper stir first to bring the crispy bits up from the bottom.

In the jar

A glossy, golden-red oil with a thick raft of crunchy fried shallot and garlic settled underneath. Give it a good stir before every spoon — the crispy layer lives at the bottom.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Canola Oil, Fried Shallots, Assorted Blend of Dried Chillies, Fried Garlic, Gluten Free Soy, Vegetable Stock, Mono-Sodium Glutamate, Fennel Seeds, Cinnamon Sticks, Szechuan Pepper.

Dietary: Vegan and gluten free; contains soy; may contain peanuts and tree nuts — always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

The house never runs out of this one — it's a finisher, so spoon it on after the cook, never before. Rub the meat with Low N Slow Basics Honey Soy Slammer, mop it in Fancy Hanks Coffee & Molasses, then drizzle the 1983 over the top and let it disappear. Off the books, on every plate.