Orange Ginger Chutney
Ingredients
- 4 navel oranges (zest saved from 2)
- 2 T. butter
- ½ c. small dice red onion
- 3 T. small dice jalapeno pepper
- 2 T. minced ginger
- 2 c. orange juice
- ½ c. red wine vinegar
- ½ c. light brown sugar
- 2 T. honey
- 2 medium Michigan red apples, large dice
- 2 T. chopped cilantro or parsley
- 2 T. fine dice roasted red bell pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Segment 4 oranges: Cut off the ends and sit orange on cutting board. Following the curve of the fruit, cut downward to make a series of thin slices to remove all the peel and white pith. Then remove the segments by cutting alongside the membranes. Let the loosened segments fall into a bowl.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and jalapeno; sauté for 5 minutes. Add ginger and sauté another minute. Add orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, and honey; cook until the sauce is reduced by half and has a glazed appearance.
Reduce the heat to low; add half of the apples; cook for 5 minutes. Off the heat, gently fold in remaining apples and orange segments. Pour chutney into a bowl; cool to room temperature. Mix in cilantro or parsley and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski adapted this recipe from Chef Bobby Flay. Chef Kurt changed the focus from apples to oranges in this chutney to create a fresh flavor with more acidity. This Orange Ginger Chutney pairs deliciously with roasted pork and chicken.
Learn More About Oranges
Oranges are the go-to fruit during the winter months. But winter or not, fresh oranges are always in season: blood oranges from January through March, navel oranges from November through May, and juice oranges from February through October.
The common orange of Italy, Moro (blood) oranges have a red blush to their otherwise normal-looking-orange exterior; but on the inside, the fruit is maroon, deepening when growing conditions include low night temperatures. Blood oranges are tart with a hint of raspberry and plum flavor.
Navel oranges are so called because they have what looks like a bellybutton at their blossom end—actually a small second orange, sometimes big enough to have edible segments of its own. This mutation was discovered on a branch of the orange family tree in the mid-1800s. Since then, grafted branches continue the lineage of easy to peel, seedless, sweet fruit with just the right amount of tartness. Washingtons are the most common variety joined by Cara Cara navels from January through March. Nearly perfect for eating out of hand, navels are not perfect for juicing. Within about 30 minutes of the juice being released from the segments, an intensely bitter compound called limonin forms, overwhelming the orange flavor of the juice.
Juice oranges are highly preferable for juicing. Valencias, the most common variety, are large, very juicy, and sweet—the sweetest of all citrus fruits. Cool growing temperatures turn oranges from green to orange. Before harvest, if the soil is warm, chlorophyll moves back into the ripe fruit causing a little green to appear on the skin. Regreening, more likely in Valencias since they are prolific in summer months, is not a bad thing and does not affect the ripeness or quality of the fruit.
Choose oranges that are heavy for size. Store them on the countertop for only a few days before moving them to the fridge where they will keep for weeks.
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