The men in my life are notoriously difficult to buy for. I’ve brought endless amounts of books, jumpers and hopelessly ugly novelty socks over the years, but I still feel like the presents that I buy for them never quite hit the mark. So this year, I’ve taken a new approach. This year, I’m gifting food.
I’ve never met a man who didn’t like a cheeseboard, and nothing goes better with a cheese than chutney. Specifically thick, sticky, savoury red onion chutney, caramelised with brown sugar and sweet balsamic vinegar. This isn’t just an ideal gift for a tricky to buy for fella – this is the perfect gift for cheese lovers everywhere. It’s sweet, simple, and you can make it more than a month in advance. What’s not to love?
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Caramelised red onion chutney
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A sweet and sticky red onion chutney – the perfect addition to your Christmas cheeseboard.
Ingredients
- 6 red onions
- 2 white onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50g light brown sugar
- 150g dark brown sugar
- 150ml balsamic vinegar
- 150ml red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp crushed chili flakes
Instructions
- Peel and chop all 8 of the onions, cutting them into the finest possible slices.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the onions.
- Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring gently to prevent burning, until the onions are soft.
- Stir in the sugars.
- Add the vinegars and chili flakes and simmer the mixture for a further 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has reduced and the chutney has become thick and sticky.
- Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal.
- You can serve the chutney immediately, but it’s best if kept to mature for a month or more. If you make a batch now, it will be ready in time for Christmas!
Notes
- Serving size in this recipe equates as jars.
- I made 5 relatively small jars from this mixture, but depending on the size of your onions you could easily make four larger jars if you so wish!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 60
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe use two types of sugar?
The chutney calls for 50g of light brown sugar and 150g of dark brown sugar. The light brown sugar adds sweetness with a mild molasses note, while the larger amount of dark brown sugar provides the deep, caramel-like richness that makes the finished chutney thick and sticky — the quality the article describes as its defining characteristic alongside a splash of balsamic vinegar.
How far in advance can this chutney be made?
The article says you can make it more than a month in advance — in fact, the recipe specifically instructs you to pour it into hot, sterilized jars, seal them, and let it mature for a month or more for the best flavor. Made now, it will be ready in time for Christmas, per the author’s note.
How many jars does this batch make?
The notes say the recipe makes 5 relatively small jars from this mixture, though depending on the size of your onions you could get 4 larger jars. The notes also clarify that the yield listed as servings refers to jars, not individual portions — each jar is meant as a gift-sized serving for a cheeseboard.
just made onion chutney using this recipe. It is amazing, really rich and sweet. Just had to get some cheddar cheese out to have with the pan scrappings. Yummy, will have to make more of this. I doubled the recipe and still only made 7 small jars but well worth it. Thank you for publishing this recipe.
Hi,
I love the sound of this recipe!
I would just like to know how long it will keep?
Thank you!