Rhubarb cherry chutney

This recipe may seem counterseasonal, but bear with me. I first clipped out this recipe when it was the height of rhubarb season in my back alley. But I never got around to making it until this week, when I was in freezer purge mode and ran across a container of rhubarb I had frozen for later use. 

So how is this seasonal? The flavor profile fits perfectly with fall dishes, and it makes room for Christmas cookies in my freezer.

Rhubarb cherry chutney

From Meredith Deeds, as published in the Star Tribune Taste section. This was part of a recipe for grilled butterflied chicken, which I’m sure is dandy, but there's snow piled on the grill, so we opted for roasted chicken brined in the pickling liquid from hot dilly beans. It would also work on lamb or pork.

Ingredients

3 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup chopped red onion

1 seeded and chopped jalepeño

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup pomegranate juice

½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup chopped dried red cherries

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Method

Combine rhubarb, onion, jalepeño, sugar, pomegranate juice, vinegar, cherries, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb is tender and it has reduced into a saucier consistency. Season to taste with salt if desired. (A note of caution: When I first tasted this it seemed very mild, so you might be tempted to augment it with some heat or more salt, but upon sitting, the heat and flavor intensifies a bit.) Can be made ahead and set out to come to room temperature before using on warm meat.

Rating: This is a tangy sauce for use on warm meats or on cold sandwiches like sliced chicken. Basically, I would say you could use this anywhere you would use a cranberry sauce/chutney. I'm sure fresh rhubarb would offer a slightly different texture to this chutney, but flavorwise that tang survives.