How could anyone not be happy to receive a jar of something called Christmas chutney? This is the bejewelled stuff of dreams. Red as Rudolf’s nose, lightly spiced and teeming with sweet onion. Pretty jars help this on its way to being the perfect gift, when accompanied with a truckle of something strong.
Photography: Scott Choucino
Styling and Props: Woodrow Studios
Lots of great recipes like this in my books, Recipes from a Normal Mum, (available on Amazon, at The Works, Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets) and The Power of Frozen (available through Amazon).
Last December: Mince pie brownies and Pulled jerk turkey sliders and Christmas pudding crackers and Fail safe mince pies and Boxing day pie and Christmas pudding flapjack and Last minute tropical trashy Christmas cake and Sausage,onion and apple sesame plait and Cherry eccles cakes and Cinnamon apple pie and Mushroom, leek and Stilton soup and Firecracker
scones.
Two years ago: Two minute marinade for chicken and Melted snowman biscuits and Egg nog truffles and Chocolate biscuit Christmas pudding and Drunken Amaretto mince pies and Cheese concertina loaf and Hot chocolate on a stick and Sausage, sage and squash lasagne and Chocolate hazelnut granola and Orange and cranberry loaf and Chocolate ganache tart.
Three years ago: My slow cooker beef bourguignon pie and Crumble topped mince pies and a very ugly but delicious cranberry & raspberry traybake
Four years ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes and Christmas pudding fizz and Brandy butter icing and Rudolf morsels
Five years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry and Christmas scones and Ginger cake with Christmas cottage and Hot chocolate on a stick
Six years ago: Moonuts and Cheese biscuits and Parsnip soup and Inauthentic chicken tagine
Yield: About 6 standard jam jars
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 3 large onions (about 900g), peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces
- 1kg frozen cranberries
- 440g brown sugar
- 250ml brown malt vinegar
- 125ml balsamic vinegar
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- zest of 2 large oranges
Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan with the salt and cook the onions until soft (don’t let them brown or burn) and then add the remaining ingredients, bringing to the boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened (about half an hour), stirring occasionally. Pour into sterilised jars and seal, fishing out the cinnamon sticks, star anise and the cloves if you can find them.
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Holly Bell 