Mango-Peach Chutney

I made this dish from scratch because I was having some difficulty finding the quintessential Anglo-Indian chutney in my neighborhood grocery stores, Cross & Blackwell's Major Grey's Chutney. You've probably seen it because it is the most popular US brand of chutney, allegedly from an officer in Her Majesty's nineteenth century British Army in occupied India who developed the chutney and sold the recipe to Cross & Blackwell. No one seems to know if this is really true, but what is true is that Cross & Blackwell, a company established in 1830, acquired from a company founded over a century earlier that specialized in pickles, sauces and condiments, had the original proprietary recipe of Major Grey's Chutney that features a flavor profile characteristic of onion, mango, raisins, tamarind, sweetening and spices.

The company was privately held until being acquired by Nestlé in 1960, but in the US, the Cross & Blackwell brand is owned by Smucker's, which kind of makes sense because for all the hype you might read about chutney, at the end of the day, it's really what we would consider a relish, a condiment, that is defined by a balance of savory, sweet and heat. Original chutneys from India were fiery hot - far too much for the Anglo palate - and so Cross & Blackwell's Major Gray's Chutney was popular in England for a century or more.  Today, it is only manufactured and available in the US. 

While the origins are indeed from India, chutney recipes are all across the planet and these days, can be made with any number of fruits, vegetables and even nuts.

I looked at more than a dozen recipes for chutney on the Internet, including those made allegedly by Indian cooks and not one of them was the same, but they all seems to carry some common characteristics: fruit, onion, vinegar, sugar, peppers and a veritable kaleidoscope of seasonings, some of which I have never heard of, like chana dal and asafoetida.  I left those alone, going for more Americanized versions of chutneys that would utilize spices I already had on hand.

This chutney was specifically made as an accompaniment to my recipe, Roasted Spicy Boneless Chicken Thighs with Crunchy Asian Slaw, found here.  But the chutney would work well with any number of other dishes where a flamboyant condiment would bring some excitement to an otherwise mundane entree.  It also is a perfect accompaniment to my own Curry Chicken recipe, found here.

If you can find fresh mango, get it.  Sometimes, stores will prepare fresh mango and sell it at a premium.  If you can't, then buy canned mango as I did on this occasion.  Use fresh peaches, however.  Canned peaches would be ill-advised here. My Number One Fan actually had frozen some peaches when she bought them in season, which worked beautifully in this dish.

Ingredients
3-4 average sized fresh peaches, peeled, seeded and chopped, about 12 oz
1 15 oz can mangoes in light syrup (like, Del Monte)
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced (about a cup)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup dried cranberries or white raisins, rough chopped
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp bourbon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp jarred or fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp dried orange peel
1/4 tsp dried lemon peel
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/16 tsp ground cayenne
1 tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup warm tap water (a slurry)

The Recipe
In a medium sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat, and then sauté the onions until they are translucent, but not browned, 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and dried cranberries or raisins and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the mangoes with all of their canned juices and the peaches.  Cook at a strong simmer for 10 minutes until the fruit begins to break down and the mixture thickens.

Add the cider vinegar, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, bourbon, lemon juice and jarred ginger and bring back to a simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the sesame seeds, ground mustard, dried orange and lemon peel, sea salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, ground ginger and the cayenne.  Stir well to incorporate.

Turn the heat down to medium low and allow the mixture to simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the cornstarch dissolved in water, a little at a time, mix thoroughly, and allow the mixture to return to a simmer for one minute while it thickens. You're looking for the consistency of a jar of fruit preserves, so add water to loosen, or more cornstarch slurry to thicken as needed.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Refrigerate overnight before use, but bring to room temperature before serving.