Nigel's Hot and Sweet Plum Chutney

I somehow found myself with an abundance of summer plums this week. I had been sent some in my veggie box three weeks in a row . . . and we just hadn't gotten many eaten, and so I decided that I wanted to use them up pronto, before they went off.



I didn't feel like making a cake or a crumble . . . although to be sure those are very tasty things indeed. We have had rather a lot of them lately though . . .



I decided instead to make a tasty plum chutney. I ran across this delicious looking one of Nigel Slater's in book two of his Tender series . . . the fruit volume and so I decided to make that one. You all know how I feel about Nigel Slater . . . I love his cooking style and ethos . . . he is my all time favourite chef/person!



His recipes are never frou frou . . . they always turn out . . . and most importantly they are always delicious! He cooks the way I like to cook and the way I love to eat. What more could you ask for???



Chutney is one of those things that tastes fabulous right after you cook it . . . and then . . . magically within a few days it starts to taste better and better . . . it becomes positively scrummy, much like a stew and soup tastes infinitely better when ripened so it is with a chutney.



He doesn't let us know exactly how much it will really make in his recipe, but I did get two half litre Kilner Jars of the stuff, and then about 3/4 of a Bon Maman jar. Of course I could not resist tucking into the open jar today . . . even though I know it will taste even better in a few days time. Today it tasted rather jammy, and quite delicious. It went down well with a buttered piece of a Polish rye bloomer . . . some thinly sliced roasted ham . . . and a few shorn slices of a good and strong British Cheddar.



Perfection. Now this is good eating. Simple ingredients. Not a lot of effort, but maximum flavour. I can't wait to see how good it is in a few days time!!



I do so love a simple lunch . . . don't you???



*Nigel's Hot and Sweet Plum Chutney*
Makes several jam jar's worth
Printable Recipe

This gets better tasting as days go by. If you can do it, let it ripen for a couple of weeks. You will be rewarded with a real taste treasure. Perfect to serve with cold meats and cheeses.

750g of plums (about 1 1/2 pounds)
350g of onions (about 3/4 pound)
125g of raisins (about 3/4 cup)
250g of light muscovado sugar (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 tsp of crushed dried chillies
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
150ml of apple cider vinegar (5 1/2 fluid ounces)
150ml of malt vinegar (5 1/2 fluid ounces)
a cinnamon stick broken in two

Halve the plums, discarding the stones. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Put the fruit and the onions into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. (DO not forget to stir it occasionally as it may catch if you don't and you don't want that to happen!) Pour into hot and sterilized jam jars. Seal.