CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

From The Thanksgiving Table (Chronicle Books, 2006) by Diane Morgan

After making my first batch of cranberry chutney years ago, and the many variations since, I have been hard-pressed to go back to the more traditional cranberry sauce or relish. Though I love cranberries in any form, this chutney with diced pears and apples is jewel-like when served in a glass or cut-crystal bowl. It’s a perfect do-ahead recipe, easily transported if Thanksgiving is at someone else’s home, and it makes a great gift packed in pint-size glass jars.

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over, and stemmed
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, each about 3 inches long
1 tsp salt
2 Granny Smith apples (about 6 oz each), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 firm Bosc or Anjou pears (about 6 oz each), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small yellow onion (about 5 oz), diced
1 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup diced crystallized ginger (see Cook’s Notes)
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, roasted, skins removed, and halved (see Cook’s Notes)

In a deep 6-quart saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, 1 1/4 cups water, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Cook until the cranberries begin to pop open, about 10 to 12 minutes. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers. Stir in the apples, pears, onion, raisins, and ginger. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thick, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat, stir in the hazelnuts, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Discard the cinnamon sticks and cloves if you can find them. Refrigerate in tightly sealed jars for up to 3 months.

Makes about 2 quarts

Cook’s Notes
Crystallized ginger slices are typically packaged in 4-ounce boxes and are available in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets.

Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also known as “filberts”) with the skins removed. To roast, place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 375-degree oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. If they have skins, when they cool enough to handle, lay them on a clean kitchen towel, or between several sheets of paper towels. Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never completely come off). You can substitute unsalted cashews, if necessary. Roast like hazelnuts, until lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes.