A friend, let’s just call him SS, emailed me a few months ago to announce the finalization of his divorce and his subsequent celebratory trip to Isla Blanca on the Yucatan.
Offering no other commentary on the divorce here (they both fish and occasionally read here) other than best wishes to all involved, it’s worth noting SS managed to send a few pics of decent tarpon taken while there accompanied by some gibberish about the memorable ‘******* fruit salsas’.
About a month ago and without any other preamble SS texted a cell phone image of an apparently hastily scribed recipe written on a badly wrinkled paper sack. The accompanying text said only ‘help me bottle this and will be millionaires’.
SS had sent a recipe for what is probably called a ‘banana ketchup’ in the Yucatan, though after some clarification he had in mind building his chutney empire with this something damned close to this recipe.
After burning the first batch (keep stirring) and tweaking several others, I agree with SS that this recipe has great potential and is stupendous with pork and chicken especially.
He wants to call it Gotcha Chutney in honor of the ubiquitous fly (even after reminding him of the fly’s decidedly Bahamian roots)…
Put a little Caribbean flavor on the table to get through the dark days of winter coming up.
1/3 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup golden raisins
3 pounds ripe bananas, peeled, chopped
3 cups fresh pineapple, chopped medium
1 large red onion, chopped medium
3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped fine
1 cup ketchup
1 cup honey
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup dark rum
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. allspice
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 and 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Smooth vs. chunky? Puree the first 6 ingredients in your trusty food processor; it will take several batches. Puree to the texture you and your clan favor; we like ours with some chunky texture.
Reduce and caramelize. Pour everything into a large, lidded saucepan and cook – simmer over low heat for 45 minutes or so. The chutney should reduce to a paste like consistency and begin to darken as the sugars begin to caramelize. You don’t necessarily have to stir it constantly until the last 15 minutes or so, but don’t go far – it will need a stir every 2-3 minutes through the cooking period.
Cool and to the fridge. Cool to room temperature and then store covered in the fridge for at least a couple of days. SS insists his Yucatan sources made this in tripled or quadrupled recipes that were promised to last up to 6 months refrigerated. Funny, I can’t get it to last more than about 10 days when we make a batch.
Serve with anything you dare to, though this is simply killer with chicken and pork.
Enjoy.
