This was kind of an accident. I was looking for something to make a dipping sauce for shrimp or fish, and nothing was really appealing to me. I mean, I could rely on the old standbys of tartar sauce or cocktail sauce, but I wanted something new, and I wasn’t finding it. Then I was flipping through my new Grilled Pizzas and Piadina’s cookbook. I was looking for a grilled pizza to make for Friday’s dinner, and I was looking at the Jamaican style one. I knew that Jamaican was not something I could make for the kids and get away with- it was much too spicy for them. But as I looked over the pizza, I saw that this plum chutney was drizzled over the pizza like a condiment. That was interesting. And as I looked that chutney over I could imagine dunking a shrimp tail into it and having it be fabulous. I decided to give it a whirl.
The hardest part of the chutney was buying the prune juice. First of all, I could not find a single-serving container of prune juice. I only needed half a cup- I didn’t want to buy a whole jug of it! I ended up having to buy a 32 ounce jug to get just 4 ounces of juice. I have no idea what I’m going to do with the rest of that juice…but perhaps I will freeze some of it in 1/2 cup portions for making this chutney again.
Because it was fabulous. The ginger and the hot pepper flake give this heat and intense flavor- and while it certainly isn’t for the kiddies, it was fantastic for the grown ups. While it was pretty good with the orange shrimp our friend brought, it was even better with the lemon-grilled flounder. I could also easily see this chutney as a condiment for a fantastic Jerk style pork dish. It is really very good, which I admit I wasn’t totally expecting. It’s nothing stunning to look at, as it’s brown…and gloppy I guess. One recipe makes about 1/2 a cup, so make more for a large crowd, but be warned that a little goes a long way. But it is totally worth hunting down and buying the prune juice- despite the odd looks from the other people in the juice aisle who are wondering why you are buying prune juice. During the height of plum season, this might be the perfect opportunity to squeeze some plums and use a fresh plum juice. I may have to try that.
Dark Plum Chutney1/2 cup prune juice 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar 1/4 cup dark raisins 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir with a whisk or a fork to incorporate well. Cook over medium-low heat for about ten minutes or until thickened. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Use as a condiment for grilled fish, shrimp, chicken, or pork.