by Mary Heckrotte
Climbing the steps to the French Harbor Yacht Club in Roatan, Honduras, we didn’t need the heavy heat to remind us we had returned to the tropics: the very air wafting past our noses offered far more evidence with its exotic and distinct perfume of ripe guavas. Indeed, a small tree grew there along the steep hillside and in mid-May the lemony yellow fruits tumbled down, rolled right across our path, just begging to be picked up. Just one guava onboard the boat would obliterate all those boaty smells we had accumulated on our five-day passage from Marathon, Florida. But it wasn’t just guavas there on the Yacht Club grounds: there were heavy stalks of plantains, and lovely little green mangoes drooping from their branches. And just down the road at the market, splendid papaya and pineapple and red red tomatoes and Scotch Bonnet peppers. The Caribbean! Oh, it’s good to be back home. Now what to do with such glorious bounty when we are already stocked above the gunnels with “stuff” from the USA?
Ahh, chutney!
Not too many years ago, I thought chutney came in a jar labeled Major Grey’s Mango Chutney, outrageously expensive, and one ate a bit of this concoction with curried something. Then my son-in-law took me to a restaurant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where they specialized in chutney. There were dozens of kinds, each with a name more exotic then the last, and dozens of choices as to which main dish the chutney would accompany, most of them without a whiff of curry. In the islands, with their strong influence from the peoples of India, chutney is common in restaurants of all types. With the Caribbean’s marvelous array of choice chutney ingredients and the hours available in a cruiser’s life, I just had to try making my own. Mango chutney was the first, made by necessity when we too enthusiastically picked the abundant green mangoes dangling right in front of us. But now I’m making up my own chutney recipes based simply on what’s available.
The old standby, Merriam Webster, defines chutney as “a thick sauce containing fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices.” Well, that certainly makes the making sound all too simple. So I looked over lots of recipes and, indeed, that’s how it goes. Pick whatever fruit is fresh and abundant or combine a variety them. Of course vinegar and sugar are ubiquitous, and whether it’s white or cider vinegar, brown or white sugar or even honey won’t matter overmuch. Then for seasoning, well, it seems that onion, garlic, ginger, and hot peppers are the standards. You can toss in raisins, dates, nuts, and coconut at will, maybe a bit of ground cinnamon, allspice, or cloves, and if you like, a little lemon or lime juice. I’ve found recipes for pineapple, mango, apple, pear, plum, banana and cranberry chutney, along with many combinations of these. Then there are the more unusual varieties like eggplant-tomato chutney, garlic chutney, and sweet red pepper chutney — though, again, the additional ingredients remain basically the same. So far, we haven’t met a chutney we don’t like.
And what to do with all this chutney? One of our favorite uses is to cover a block of cream cheese or homemade yogurt cheese with chutney and offer it up at happy hour with a basket of crisp crackers. On fish, chicken and pork sandwiches, chutney serves as a zesty spread. At the table, of course chutney goes with anything curried: curried shrimp or chicken or pork. But we serve chutney with grilled fish, pork, chicken, and beef — whatever strikes the fancy. Okay, so it doesn’t go well with pasta and maybe not with chili con carne but would you believe that, thanks to Paul and Andrea of the S/V Ta-Ta of New Orleans, we had outstanding cranberry chutney last Thanksgiving with the roasted turkey? You might want to try chutney salad dressing, too. A jar of chutney makes a welcome hostess gift and a few jars tucked in the luggage for friends and family when visiting back home are a delightful way to share a taste of the tropics. So save your mayonnaise and pickle jars and add a little chutney to your days. Oh, and for those of you who don’t want to “can”, just make half a recipe and keep it in a closed container in the fridge. Now that is instant gratification!
French Harbor Hot Guava Chutney
6 Cups fresh guavas, peeled, seeds removed, chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
3 Scotch Bonnet peppers, minced, seeds and all
6 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
3 Cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Cups vinegar
Put all except the vinegar in a large heavy stainless steel pot. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, continuing to stir regularly to avoid scorching. Add vinegar and stir well. Simmer until mixture has thickened, about one hour. Pour into hot sterilized jars leaving one-fourth inch headroom. Seal and set aside out of drafts to cool. Makes 4 pints.
Tropical Fruit and Rum Chutney
4 cups fresh pineapple, mango, papaya in any combination, cubed
1 large red onion, chopped
2 Scotch Bonnet peppers, seeded and minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 Cup vinegar
1/2 Cup white rum
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
In a large mixing bowl or jar with an airtight lid combine fruits, onion, peppers, and ginger. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour mixture over fruit mixture. Put lid on and gently turn container to coat all well. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors. The next day, pour mixture into a large heavy stainless steel pot. Over medium heat, bring mixture to boil then reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about one hour. Makes about 3 Cups. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Will keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
Banana-Ginger Chutney
1 pound onions, chopped
1/2 pound dates, chopped
6 bananas, chopped
1 1/2 Cups vinegar
1/4 pound crystallized ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 pound seedless raisins
2 Cups fresh or unsweetened canned pineapple juice
Mix onions, dates, bananas and vinegar in a heavy stainless steel pot. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent scorching. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until thickened, about one hour. Makes 4 pints. To preserve, pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Cool away from drafts and store away from heat.
Tomato Chutney
3 pounds tomatoes, peeled, chopped
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, peeled, grated
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 Cup raisins
1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Cup vinegar
In a heavy stainless steel pot combine all ingredients. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until thickened, about one hour. Makes 3 1/2 cups. To preserve, pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Cool away from drafts and store away from heat. Alternatively, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Ta-Ta Cranberry Chutney
1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup tart apple, peeled, diced
1/3 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground cloves
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until apples are tender and sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Makes about 2 cups. Store in sealed container in refrigerator.
Chutney Yogurt Spread
1 Cup thick plain yogurt
1/2 Cup (2 ounces) cheddar cheese, grated
3 Tablespoon green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 Cup chutney
In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, cheddar cheese, 1 Tablespoon green onion, and curry powder. Spread onto a serving plate. Top with chutney then sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons green onions. Serve with crackers or toasted bread slices.
Chutney Salad Dressing
1/4 Cup wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons chutney
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 Cup olive oil
Combine all but oil in a food processor then, with processor running slowly, pour oil in through top opening. (Alternatively, combine all in a jar and then slowly pour in oil while vigorously whisking.) Refrigerate to store but bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Shake well. Excellent with spinach salad.
Fish Baked with Chutney
1 1/4 pound firm fish fillets
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro or mint leaves, chopped
4 Tablespoons sweet mango chutney
Season fillets with pepper and paprika. In a large skillet, heat oil then sauté fillets 40 seconds on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Place half of fillets in a buttered ovenproof casserole dish, set other fillets aside. Put butter in skillet and brown onion, garlic, and ginger. Add cilantro (or mint) and mix well. Spread this mixture over fillets in casserole. Layer other fillets on top. Spread chutney on top of all. Bake uncovered at 350°F until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 12 minutes depending on thickness of fillets. Serves 4.
Chutney Rice
1 Cup onion, chopped
3/4 Cup celery, chopped
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Cups cooked rice
1/2 Cup flaked coconut
1/4 Cup mango chutney
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
In a large skillet, sauté onions and celery in butter. Add remaining ingredients and toss to mix. Heat through. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Beef with Onions and Papaya Chutney
2 pounds boneless beef
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped in large pieces
3 Tablespoons papaya chutney
4 tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large skillet, sauté beef in oil until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until beef is tender and liquid is reduced. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.
Chutney Sauce for Grilled Chicken, Pork or Lamb
1/4 Cup mango, pineapple, guava or papaya chutney
2 cups guava nectar or orange juice
Curry powder to taste
Approximately 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
In a small saucepan, stir together the chutney, juice and curry powder. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid reduces by half. Mix cornstarch with a small bit of cold water then stir into juice mixture. Stir constantly until thickened. To serve, pour half of mixture on each of two dinner plates then place grilled pork or lamb chops or grilled chicken breast on top. Makes sauce for 2 servings.
