Just about anybody can heat up a hot dog, burn a burger, char’ the chicken, or massacre some marshmallows – but it takes a little imagination to be a Houdini of the grill. Not that it is really magical; more just remembering that anything that can be pan fried, roasted, broiled, even steamed, can be done on the grill. Now there is nothing wrong with the conventional mainstays of grilling. Sometimes nothing satisfies like a crispy-skinned hot dog slathered with hot mustard and bright green relish, or a steak with the carbonized aromatic crust full of the promise of what lies within. BUT, sometimes breaking away from the ordinary, the expected, the tried and true, can put that missing something in your barbeque side manner.
These two condiment recipes are sure to compliment anything you put on the grill and may even change your mind about gilling possibilites. They do take a little more planning and a little do-ahead preparation but the results are well worth it. By all means don’t stop here, remember: a little imagination goes a long way!
Aunt Lou’s Onion & Banana Chutney
Ingredients:
1 lb. Bermuda onions, chopped
6 bananas, mashed
¾ lb. dates, chopped
2 cups fruit syrup from any canned fruit
1 ½ cups vinegar
¼ lb. crystallized ginger, chopped
½ lb. raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
Directions:
– Mix onions, dates and bananas
– Simmer in vinegar for 20 minutes
– Add ginger, raisins, syrup and seasonings
– Cook until thick
– Put in sterile jars
(From All about Bermuda Onions book)
Mango Relish
Ingredients:
½ cup minced scallion
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1/3 cup lime juice
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp Chinese chili sauce
4 dead ripe mangoes (or 4 ripe peaches, or a large ripe papaya)
Directions:
Peel the mango, slice the flesh from the pit and chop finely. (If you use peaches, blanch in boiling water, skin, pit and chop. For papaya simply peel, cut in half, scoop away seeds and chop).
Combine all of the ingredients together adding the fruit at the end. Stir well, cover and refrigerate. Can be made the day before. Yield: about 2 cups.
