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FIG AND OLIVE CHUTNEY

FIG AND OLIVE CHUTNEY

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Yield: approx. 750ml in total

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  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian

I often give homemade chutneys to Italian friends when I visit, as I’m proud of our traditional recipes and know that an English chutney can pair magnificently with an Italian cheese. Italians themselves are not averse to a condiment or two of their own, either. But I love bringing the two strands of our differing cultures together – and this fig and olive chutney is a marriage made in paradiso.

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Ingredients

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  • 325 grams soft dried figs (snipped in half)
  • 220 grams pitted dry-packed black olives (2 x 110g jars)
  • 100 grams dark brown muscovado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of ground cloves
  • 60 ml Marsala
  • 150 ml red wine vinegar
  • 100 ml water
NIGELLISSIMA

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NIGELLISSIMA

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients into a smallish (approx. 17–18cm / 7 inch diameter), heavy-based saucepan that has a lid, bring to a bubble and when it starts boiling, clamp on the lid, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat, take off the lid and let it stand to cool a little for 5 or so minutes, then tip into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped: this does not take long.
  3. Spoon the chutney into clean, warm jars, then seal with their lids and leave to cool for about 3 hours before transferring to the fridge.

NOTES:

Should you be inclined to store this chutney for up to 3 months or thereabouts, then you should return the processed chutney to the saucepan, put it over a medium heat and bring it back up to a boil; it will bubble at the edges and be steaming slightly. Transfer it to warm, sterilized jars, seal and leave them to cool, then store in a cool, dark place. I tend not to bother with this fandango but warn friends who are the recipients of my chutney as a gift that they must keep it in the fridge and eat within the month; they don’t find this problematic at all. Nor will you.

I use the amount above to fill 3 preserving jars of 250ml / 1 cup or 6 tinier ones.

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  • Absolutely great!!! I tried it yesterday. I like the taste but it's my first chutney trial, so could you give me some advice about how to use this, just with bread or grilled meat etc?

    Posted by ozgecan on 20th Dec 2012 at 10.31