Roasted Cranberry & Quince Chutney

Today was supposed to be my cooking day.  I had planned to make a Roasted Cauliflower & Leek Tart with Port Glaze, a Herb-Focaccia, Chestnut & Cranberry Stuffing, and a Roasted Cranberry & Quince Chutney.  Well, at least I was able to make one dish...one out of three is not too bad considering how lousy I feel.  How can something as simple as a common cold make you feel so bad.

 
Anyway this cranberry chutney couldn't be easier.  A little dicing, mixing and baking and it's done.  I know that quince can be hard to find at the market so you can substitute pear, or apple.  I actually used a combination of quince and Asian pears for this recipe, and when I make it again for Thanksgiving I will use Asian pears only.  I really like their flavor and texture.  The pears are shaped like an apple, but have the skin of a pear.  And they taste just like buttered-rum, seriously...they melt in your mouth.  But you may not be able to find Asian pears at your market either.  Again, just substitute regular pears or apples or a combination of each.

Ingredients:

1 12oz pkg whole fresh cranberries
2 quince, peeled and diced into 1/4" dice
2 Asian pears, peeled and diced into 1/4" dice
3/4 cup unpasteurized apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup minced shallot (about 1 large)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Zest of one orange
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix really well.
• Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, tossing every 30 minutes until fruit is soft and liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from oven, place in a serving bowl and let sit until it's room temperature.
• The chutney can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about a week.