chutney

The annual pre Christmas lunch is looming, a tradition that has been going on for about 18 years. It started pre kids with 5 couples and now with all the kids there will be 18 for lunch.

As we do not have a table large enough to seat 18, this year I am going for a Boxing Day buffet theme. The cola baked ham is out of the oven, encrusted with treacle, mustard and demerara sugar. The turkey has been smoked on the BBQ. The brussels and carrots have been peeled and prepped and a bottled of chilled wine has been opened to start the festive dinner preparation.

For me, the best bit of the Boxing Day buffet are all the pickles and chutneys to accompany the cold meats and cheeses. I have already made a Port and Cranberry sauce but I still need a special chutney to go with the European cheese mountain one of the guests always brings.

I came across Nigella Lawson’s aptly named “Christmas Chutney”. With a little adaptation I now present my “Boxing Day” chutney, full of festive cranberries, satsuma, apples, figs and Christmas spices. Delicious as an accompaniment to your cold meats and cheeses or slathered on a turkey and ham roll.

Ingredients
Makes: 4 jam jars
375g cooking apples
1 small onion
250g cranberries
125g soft dates
1 clementine or satsuma
200g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
250ml cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Instructions
1. Sterilize your jars. I put mine through a hot cycle on the dishwasher.
2. Peel, core and roughly chop the cooking apples. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Put in a large saucepan. Add cranberries (defrost if frozen) and chopped dates into the pan.
3. Zest the clementines/satsumas into the pan and squeeze in the juice.
4. Add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt and chilli powder, then pour in the vinegar.
5. Give the pan a good stir, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer gently, uncovered, for about 45 mins to an hour or until you have a sticky mix that bubbles like lava.
6. Fill your sterilised jars and seal.
7. This matures with age, store in a dark, cool, dry place. It should store well for 6-12 months. Once open keep in the fridge and use within a month.

Boxing Day Chutney

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

I came across Nigella Lawson's aptly named "Christmas Chutney". With a little adaptation I now present my "Boxing Day" chutney, full of festive cranberries, satsuma, apples, figs and Christmas spices. Delicious as an accompaniment to your cold meats and cheeses or slathered on a turkey and ham roll.

Author: CluckMuckCook

Serves: 4 Jars

Ingredients

375g cooking apples
1 small onion
250g cranberries
125g soft dates
1 clementine or satsuma
200g caster sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
250ml cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Instructions

Sterilize your jars. I put mine through a hot cycle on the dishwasher.
Peel, core and roughly chop the cooking apples. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Put in a large saucepan. Add cranberries (defrost if frozen) and chopped dates into the pan.
Zest the clementines/satsumas into the pan and squeeze in the juice.
Add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt and chilli powder, then pour in the vinegar.
Give the pan a good stir, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer gently, uncovered, for about 45 mins to an hour or until you have a sticky mix that bubbles like lava.
Fill your sterilised jars and seal.
This matures with age, store in a dark, cool, dry place. It should store well for 6-12 months. Once open keep in the fridge and use within a month.

As Autumn takes hold, the nights draw in and there is a fresh chill in the air, it is time to pick that last glut of produce from the allotment and greenhouse. Ready for the Autumnal pastime of pickling, jam or chutney making to preserve some of those goodies for the winter months.

Every year I grow too many chillies. The ones that do not make it into the freezer for stir fry and currys are destined for my favourite sweet chilli jam recipe.

For me this is the Russian roulette of jam making depending on what chillies I have decided to grow. Using supermarket standard red chillies give consistent results of a sweet spicy jam with a gentle kick. This year a combination of red and yellow aji lemon chillies have produced a slightly more atomic version. Tweak the number and type of chillies to your liking and tolerance for heat.

This sweet chilli jam is very versatile and will perk up your cold meats, cheeses or I love a little on my fajitas.

Adding a little ancho chilli paste gives an additional fruity and smoky depth of flavour or a teaspoon of smoked paprika will also work well.

Makes: 3 large jars or 4 small jars
Ingredients
8 red peppers
10 red chilli
Thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bulb garlic (10-12 cloves)
400g can cherry tomatoes
750g caster sugar
250ml cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ancho chilli paste (Optional)

Instructions

Deseed peppers and chop roughly. Chop up chilli, garlic and ginger.
Put all the chopped ingredients into a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth. Pour into a heavy saucepan. Put the tomatoes into the blender or food processor, whizz up and add to the saucepan. Add the ancho chilli paste if using.
Add sugar and vinegar and bring to the boil stirring occasionally. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface as the mixture boils. Then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The sauce should have thickened, continue to simmer until the mixture bubbles like lava, stirring more often so it does not burn on the bottom of the pan.
Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes then transfer to sterilised jars. It will last up to 3 months in the fridge.

Adapted from a GoodFood recipe

Sweet Chilli Jam