Grilled Peach Chutney

Makes 4 to 5 cups

Ingredients

  • 6 peaches, ripe and still firm
  • 1 red onion, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick rounds
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • a sprinkle of salt and pepper
  • 1 serrano chili, stemmed, ribs removed, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • a pinch ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped
  • cracked black pepper, as needed

Directions

Pre-heat your grill on high. Be sure to have a clean grate that is seasoned with a rub of vegetable oil and completely hot before the peaches are placed on the grate.
Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit. Then slice each half in wedges of 3. Place the sliced peaches in a shallow bowl and gently toss with 1–2 tablespoons of canola oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Lightly brush the red onions with canola oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Have a sheet pan set up with a cooling rack available.
Lay the peaches on their side and grill for 2 minutes or until they can be easily turned without sticking to the grate (this will depend on the heat of your grill). Flip to the reverse side and repeat. Transfer the grilled peach wedges to the cooling rack.
For grilling and cutting ease, try to keep the onion slices together in rounds. Grill the onion rounds for 4-5 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of your grill. They should have grill marks and be softened through to the center rings. Remove the onions and let cool.
While the peaches and onions are cooling, combine the serrano chili, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sugar, coriander, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Stir and let the flavors develop for at least 20 minutes.
Remove the skin from the peaches and chop the peaches into 1–inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl. Chop the red onion into ½ inch pieces, making sure to remove any charred outer layers. Add the onion to the peaches along with the vinegar mixture and gently toss.
Add the mint and taste for seasoning. Let the chutney develop its flavors for 10 minutes and taste again. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Note: Nectarines or apricots can easily be substituted for the peaches in this recipe.

Source:

Edible Boston, Summer 2008

Produce: