SPICED CARROT & GARLIC CHUTNEY

This is a Sophie Grigson recipe which came to me via my piano teaching chum and companion in piano adventures, Lorraine Liyanage. Lorraine runs a busy and popular piano school in south-east London. Unlike many chutneys which need to be left to mature for several weeks before they are ready to eat, this one can be eaten on the day it's made, which is great if, like me, you are impatient to try slather it on some bread and cheese.

When I was growing up, my father was the chutney-maker. He also made jams, marmalade and preserves, a habit he acquired from his own father, who made the meanest, most fiery Piccalilli in East Anglia, which would be brought out for high tea, along with that ham in a tin with a thick, wobbly slab of jelly, and Heinz Salad Cream.

I like making jams, preserves and marmalade: there is something very soothing about all that gentle stirring, and I love it when I find a jar of something homemade at the back of the cupboard. This Spiced Carrot and Garlic Chutney goes well with cheese and cold cuts; we also have it with curry and tagines. In fact, it tends to grace the table at nearly every meal, taking its place alongside another Demon Cook favourite, Belazu Rose Harissa.

It's easy to make, and the quantities given can be doubled up, or halved.

  • 1.8 kg carrots, grated
  • 110g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 litre cider vinegar
  • 8 dried chillies
  • 2 tbsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • 60 g coarse sea salt
  • 3 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
  • 500 ml water
  • 1.5 kg granulated sugar  
  •   
  • 1. In a large bowl, mix together the grated carrot, ginger, cider vinegar, chillies, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, star anise and salt.

    2. Cover the bowl with a clean tea-towel and set aside to marinate for 24 hours.

    3. Pour the marinated carrot mixture into a large preserving pan. Add the garlic cloves and the water.  (Cook's tip - you don't need quite as much water as given in the recipe. Don't add the full quantity immediately, and add as necessary.)

    4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

    5. Stir in the sugar, bring back to the boil and boil hard for 45 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and jammy.

    6. Take off the heat and ladle at once into hot sterilized jars with tightly fitting lids. Cover and set aside until serving.   

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