chutney

Tangy Tomato Chutney

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Brunch has become a staple for me on weekends since moving to Toronto. Most of the time I elect to make brunch at home, but when I go out, my place of choice is The Corner Place down by the St. Lawerence Market. With a strong aversion to waiting in lines, my friend and I have made a bit of a ritual out of going to this hidden gem and enjoying their menu that highlights fresh ingredients from the market across the street. Their St. Lawerence Benny is my regular order; featuring a tangy, sweet and savoury tomato chutney, smoked cheddar and creamy hollandaise.

This recipe is my attempt at recreating the flavours of my brunch-out favourite. Highly recommend serving on English muffins, with some nice old cheddar, bacon and soft poached eggs. This would also make a great condiment on sandwiches or your next cheese board.

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Tangy Tomato Chutney

40 minutes

If making for brunch, I get the chutney started before anything else. The longer you cook the chutney on a lower heat, the deeper the flavour will be. I get to step 2, and then I’ll initiate the other elements of my brunch (bacon, eggs, etc).

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 small ones)

2 large tomatoes (or 3-4 medium), diced (yields about 2 cups of diced tomato)

½ tsp - 1 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

Salt n pepper

Method

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, red onion and minced garlic over medium-low heat. Continue to cook until onions are translucent and buttery, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Add diced tomato to the saucepan, and continue to cook on medium until tomatoes break down and become stew-like, darkening in colour. This will take some time - about 20-25 minutes.

  3. Add red pepper flakes and vinegar, increasing the heat to medium-high to boil off the vinegar. Your eyes may sting a little during this step - vinegar can be strong! Takes 3-5 minutes.

  4. Finally, add in maple syrup and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the syrup is well integrated.

  5. Taste and adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper.

  6. Serve warm or room temperature, or put into the fridge for future use.