Grilling with Sweet Cherry Chutney
Author: Many thanks to the Boyertown Farmers Market (http://www.boyertownpa.org/farmersmarket/) for this cherry chutney recipe.
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cherries are in season at the Oakmont Farmers Market, and eating them fresh from the market is always a treat. But don't ignore all the many possibilities of enjoying this seasonal fruit. This recipe for a cooked chutney goes perfectly with grilled chicken, lamb, pork and even beef and bison (available from Lindenhof Farm, Hill Acres Pride and Backyard Bison). Sweet chutneys are a classic and rather Medieval sauce for meats; the sauces that follow this – the basil, herb, and arugula pesto – would be perfect with grilled meats as well as fish.
Ingredients
- 25-30 sweet cherries (about a pint) -- washed, dried and pitted
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup of water
- ½ teaspoon finely minced ginger
- ⅓ teaspoon crushed garlic, (or paste)
- 3-5 tablespoons of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 dried red chili, sliced
Instructions
- Boil the vinegar and water in a pan and add the ginger, garlic and red chili.
- If you prefer less heat, use less chili.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, add the cherries and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add the salt and sugar to taste, but do not over-sweeten. (The cherries are sweet already -- it's the vinegar you are balancing.)
- Let it cook on low to medium heat until the cherries soak up all the liquid and are soft. Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish and let cool to room temperature.
- For the meat, grill as you like, but it always helps to baste lightly with olive oil as it cooks.
- Grill over a low to medium heat with the cover down but vented.
- Serve the grilled meat with a generous dollop of the chutney for a wonderful summer meal!