Fig and Tamarind Chutney
Rapey. Take half fyges and half raisouns; pike hem and waishe hem in water. Skalde hem in wyne, bray hem in a morter, and drawe them thurgh a straynour. Cast hem in a pot and therwith powdur of peper and oother good powdours; alay it vp with flour of rys, and colour it with saundres. Salt it, seeth it & messe it forth.
125 g/4 oz well-soaked dried figs 125 g/4 oz stoned raisins 275 ml/10 fl oz/1 1/4 cups red wine (not too dry) Good pinch of ground black pepper 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Soft dark brown sugar to taste 3 teaspoons rice flour or cornflour A drop or two of red food colouring Salt to taste
Drain the figs, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard the stalk ends of the fruit and put them in a saucepan with the raisins and wine. Add the spices and a teaspoon of sugar and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and cool slightly, then turn the mixture into an electric blender and process until smooth. Add a little of the soaking water if the mixture is stubbornly solid.
Cream the rice flour or cornflour with a little more soaking water or wine and brighten the tint with a drop of food colouring. Blend the 'cream' into the dried-fruit puree. Then return the whole mixture to the saucepan and simmer until it thickens slightly. Season with salt and a little extra sugar if you wish.
The mixture can be served hot or cold over a sweet cereal dish, firm stewed fruit or -
best of all-
ice cream. Some versions in other manuscripts are stiffer and make a good filling for tartlets or fried puffs. One encloses the filling in pastry to make dumplings.
125 g/4 oz well-soaked dried figs 125 g/4 oz stoned raisins 275 ml/10 fl oz/1 1/4 cups red wine (not too dry) Good pinch of ground black pepper 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Soft dark brown sugar to taste 3 teaspoons rice flour or cornflour A drop or two of red food colouring Salt to taste
Drain the figs, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard the stalk ends of the fruit and put them in a saucepan with the raisins and wine. Add the spices and a teaspoon of sugar and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and cool slightly, then turn the mixture into an electric blender and process until smooth. Add a little of the soaking water if the mixture is stubbornly solid.
Cream the rice flour or cornflour with a little more soaking water or wine and brighten the tint with a drop of food colouring. Blend the 'cream' into the dried-fruit puree. Then return the whole mixture to the saucepan and simmer until it thickens slightly. Season with salt and a little extra sugar if you wish.
The mixture can be served hot or cold over a sweet cereal dish, firm stewed fruit or -
best of all-
ice cream. Some versions in other manuscripts are stiffer and make a good filling for tartlets or fried puffs. One encloses the filling in pastry to make dumplings.