Cranberry Chutney

By Patlynn

Chutney is all about a spectrum of flavors—sweet, savory, spicy, and bitter. The only problem is that it usually involves at least an hour of simmering to develop that characteristic complexity. We sped up the process by turning to the microwave. By microwaving in stages, we got layers of flavor—first the aromatics and spices and then the fruit and juice. Vinegar and sugar finished off our chutney, rounding out the flavors and providing balance

Ingredients

• The mixture will thicken as it cools. You can also use fresh cranberries.
• Ingredients1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12 ounces (3 cups) frozen cranberries, thawed
• 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

. Combine oil, shallot, garlic, ginger, orange zest, salt, and pepper flakes in medium bowl. Microwave, uncovered, until shallot has softened, about 1 minute.
2. Stir cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and vinegar into shallot mixture. Microwave until cranberries have softened and liquid is thick and syrupy, about 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled or up to 3 days. Serve.


Make it in the Microwave


Chutney can take up to 40 minutes on the stovetop, so we employed the microwave. We zapped the aromatics first, so they’d mellow and infuse the oil with flavor. We added the fruit, sugar, and vinegar and continued to microwave to finish cooking. From start to finish, our chutney took under 10 minutes.