Ming says: Sweet and sour is a classic flavor combo in Chinese cuisine and is usually achieved by using vinegar and sugar. At my mom's restaurant she always sweetened it with pineapple, but for this recipe I'm using sweet-tart cranberries for their great flavor and brilliant color. This chutney is so good, you'll find yourself putting it on everything from cheeses, to meat, to poultry!
Makes 4 cups
- 2 red onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass, white part only
- 2 cups dried cranberries, such as Craisins, chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups naturally brewed rice vinegar
- Grapeseed or canola oil for cooking
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a sauté pan coated lightly with oil over high heat, sauté the onions and lemongrass until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and check for flavor. Add cranberries and sugar and deglaze with naturally brewed rice vinegar. Reduce by 75 percent, or until liquid is absorbed. Check again for seasoning. When cool, transfer to a container, cover, and store in fridge for up to two weeks.
MING'S RECOMMENDED BEVERAGES
Newton Unfiltered Pinot Noir
Where: Sonoma, California
Grape: Pinot Noir
Style: Due to the fact that this is unfiltered and unfined, this is a big bodied wine with very robust flavors of black cherry, raspberry, earth, and a touch of smoke. The dark fruit flavors enrich the nuances of cranberries, enhancing all dishes made with the Sweet and Sour Cranberry Chutney. A great wine to pair with gamey meats like duck due to strong fruit overtones.
Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay
Where: Sonoma, California
Grape: Chardonnay
Style: There are some whites designed to complement richer dishes. Napa and Carneros chardonnays, with their characteristic creaminess and burnt oakiness, can hold their own with very powerful flavor combinations.
>>This recipe appears in
Episode #212.
>> For additional recipes and more, visit
www.ming.com
