Day 359: The most common response I hear when I tell people I'm making chutney is, "What's that?" Chutney...you know, like you put on steak to make it palatable. Americans use those numbered sauces...A1 and 57. Brits use chutney. Chutney is chunky. It stays on your meat.
Maybe it's because I don't care for the taste of dead cow as a general rule, or maybe it's because I grew up eating chutneys of assorted types and therefore think beef is bland without one. I like them on pork and chicken as well, and the hotter the better. Here you see my "all-purpose" chutney, good on just about anything with the possible exception of fish. It's made with pears, tomatoes, green bell pepper and a recipe of secret spices handed down to me by my mother. It's not overly hot...not like Dinosaur Chutney which got its name because it resembles something dredged out of a tar pit...but it has a bit of a bite.
By virtue of being made with fruit and sugar, chutneys are sweet. Chutney is not set with pectin like jams and jellies. It cooks for a longer period of time (an hour or two) until it becomes thick and jammy when cooled.
Break out of the mold, Americans! Have something different with that boring beef roast for a change. It's chutney time!
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