michelle picker cooks

Here are two wonderful recipes for feijoa chutney from across the Ditch (for those of you who don’t know, the ditch is the Tasman Sea which divides Australia from New Zealand). And although feijoa is native to South America, New Zealand’s love for the fruit is unrivalled. Both of these clever recipes from thisNZlife are started the day before cooking, require minimal prep time with no peeling and are cooked in the oven. I intend to try out these methods with other ingredients!

Chunky feijoa chutney (pictured left) requires a little prep. Wash and trim 1kg (2.2 lbs) of feijoas. Cut them in half, then quarters, then 7-8 slices. Put them in a large ovenproof casserole with a lid. Add 1 chopped onion and the zest and juice of one lemon. Chop 2 fresh red chillies and add them along with 1½ cups of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of garlic salt, ½ a cup of red wine vinegar, 4 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom and 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. Mix well and let the mixture sit overnight. The next day, preheat your oven to 180ºC (375ºF). Put the covered casserole in the oven and cook for at least 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so. The chutney will be ready to bottle when its thick and a dark-brown caramel colour.

For the spiced roasted feijoa chutney (pictured right), simply wash and cut the top off 2kg (4.4 lbs) of feijoas and slice them in half. Put them in a food processor and process into a lumpy mix. Next process 500g (1.1 lbs) of red onions and 3 large lemons (minus pips). Finely slice 4 large green chillies. Mix everything in a bowl, adding 150ml (5 fl oz) of apple cider vinegar and 3 teaspoons of salt. Finally, add 600g (1⅓ lbs) of white sugar and mix again. Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight. The next day, preheat your oven to 180ºC (375ºF). Stir the mixture again and add 1 piece of cassia bark or a cinnamon quill, 4 green cardamom pods, 4 black cardamom pods and 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes. Pour the mixture into a large roasting dish and roast for 2-3 hours, stirring every half hour or so. The chutney is ready when it is reddish-brown and most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove the cassia and cardamom before transferring to jars.