Tropical Chutney Recipes

TROPICAL CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup nectar, sugar, lime juice, ginger, and garlic in large skillet, and set over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium; let simmer until syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Raise heat to medium high; add mango and pineapple. Cook, tossing, until fruit is glazed, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to bowl. Add jalapeno, red pepper, and cilantro; toss. Add remaining 2 tablespoons nectar to pan; scrape up cooked-on bits. Pour into bowl. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to a few days

TROPICAL SPICED CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Rinse jars (each 8 ounces) and their matching lids with boiling water, then leave upside down to drain on a kitchen towel.
• Peel mango, cut into slices, approximately 1/2 inch thick around the pit. Cut slices into small dice.
• Peel papaya and scoop out the seeds. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Remove outer husk of cape gooseberries.
• Peel the onions and cut into approximately 1-inch dice. Peel and finely mince ginger root.
• Rinse chile pepper and cut into very thin slices. (Remove seeds if you prefer less heat.)
• Heat sugar in a pot, stirring, until it melts, then stop stirring and cook until caramel is light brown.
• Add onions, ginger and chile. Stir in vinegar and apple juice and cook, stirring, until caramel has dissolved completely.
• Add mango, papaya and gooseberries to pot. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon hot chutney into prepared jars and secure lids. Let stand upside down for 5 minutes, then turn right sides up and let cool completely. Tip: To preserve for longer, process jars according to manufacturer's instructions. Chutney tastes best 2-3 months after preparation.

SPICY TROPICAL FRUIT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, honey, brown sugar, coriander, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
• Add the pineapple, mango, papaya, garlic, ginger and Scotch bonnet and season lightly with salt and white pepper.
• Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Discard the cinnamon and bay leaf.
• Serve at room temperature or chilled.
• **The chutney can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

TROPICAL DRIED-FRUIT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan. Add bean, Sherry, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add all dried fruits; return to simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer until Sherry is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in enough pineapple juice by tablespoonfuls to moisten chutney. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (Chutney can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Remove vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, and star anise from chutney. Mix in mint and cilantro and serve.
• *Brown star-shaped seedpods; available in the spice section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Asian markets.

JERK CHICKEN THIGHS WITH TROPICAL CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the jerk chicken: In a gallon-size ziptop bag, mix together the allspice, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, orange juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Trim the chicken thighs and marinate in the bag at room temperature for up to 45 minutes while you make chutney.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken thighs and cook until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• For the tropical chutney: Combine the vinegar, honey, coriander, cinnamon and cloves in a small saucepot and bring to a boil. Add the mango, papaya, pineapple, garlic, jalapeno, ginger and a pinch each of salt and pepper and lower the heat to medium low. Cook until the fruit has softened and absorbed all the liquid, about 40 minutes.
• Serve the chutney with the jerk chicken.

TROPICAL GLAZED HAM WITH CURRIED PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Roast ham:
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using sharp knife, cut parallel lines 1 inch apart in fat layer and rind on ham. Cut more lines in crosswise direction, making diamond pattern.
• Stick 1 whole clove into center of each diamond. Place rack in roasting pan. Place ham on rack. Roast ham 2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Continue to roast ham until golden, about 1 hour.
• Make glaze:
• Meanwhile, combine mango nectar and next 6 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook until glaze thickens and coats spoon, stirring often, about 14 minutes; set glaze aside.
• Glaze ham:
• Remove ham from oven. Maintain oven temperature. Using pastry brush, dab all of glaze over ham, being careful not to dislodge crisp diamonds of fat and rind.
• Return ham to oven. Roast until ham is heated through and glaze is brown, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer ham to platter; let stand 15 minutes. Spoon chutney into bowl. Slice ham and serve with chutney.