Spiced kumquat chutney

Have you ever seen those cute little kumquats in the grocery store and wonder what to do with them? Should you eat them out of hand, cook them or bake with them? Well, the answer to all three of those questions is, yes! This simple and versatile Kumquat Chutney recipe it's a good start.

Chutneys are great to have on hand because they are so versatile. Use chutney to dress up a simple grilled chicken breast or piece of fish. I like chutney on a grilled cheese sandwich or as an accompaniment to a cheese platter.

Kumquats are a great choice for chutney because the sweet and sour fruit is perfect with the strong flavours.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups kumquats, halved

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup orange or mandarin juice

• 1/4 cup chopped shallots

• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 star anise

• 3 cloves

• 4 cardamom pods

• 1/4 cinnamon stick

• 1 tbsp dried currants

METHOD:

• Cut kumquats in half, remove whatever seeds you can

• Place all chutney ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes

• Remove any pieces of spice that are visible

• That’s it! You can eat it as soon as it gets cold

These small, tight citrusy fruits are bursting with intense squirts of vitamin C, flavour and acidity. Either way, they are a joy to eat, wonderfully refreshing and very versatile.

Tips:
1. You can improvise the mixture of fruits, vegetables and spices based on your taste and what you’ve got available
2. It is best to let the chutney rest for a couple of days, so that the different flavours are accentuated even more.