GTFE

Spiced Christmas Tomato-Cranberry Chutney

Chef: Fabrizio Facchini starter soup brunch

Ingredients

• 1 Red Onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 can of Italian Plum Tomatoes (around 28 oz)
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1 cup of water
• 1 Vanilla Bean, sliced open and seeds scraped
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 Cinnamon Stick, about 4 inches long
• 1 can of Cranberry Sauce (14oz)
• 1/2 cup of dry cranberries
• 1 cup of Muscovado or medium dark brown sugar
• 1 whole fresh red Chili Pepper
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig (about a tablespoon if you were to remove the leaves, which you won’t)
• 1 fresh thyme sprig (about a teaspoon if you were to remove the leaves, which you won’t)
• 1 teaspoon of powdered (ground) ginger or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine the onion with vinegar, maple syrup, water, vanilla bean and seeds, star anise, and cinnamon. Stir well, then cook over medium-low heat until the liquid is gently reduced by about a third and the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, then cook over a medium-low heat, gently smashing the tomatoes into very small pieces without breaking the chili. Leaving the chili whole gives light not too spicy heat; if you prefer it hotter, cut the chili into two or three pieces and crush it as desired, which will release its heat into the chutney.

Simmer gently for about 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool, then transfer the mixture into a 32 oz sterilized glass jar.

Letting it age in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours gives a better flavor and texture.

Enjoy the chutney with a nice cheese board, or alongside a honey-glazed ham–also, lovely as a holiday homemade version of classic ketchup!

Note: This will keep for about 2 weeks; to keep it longer you can either freeze it in smaller portions or process the jar/s for canning.