Name: Burst Cherry Tomato and Jalapeño Chutney
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 ounces cherry tomatoes; ¼ cup sugar; ¼ cup red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed and minced

Why This Recipe Works

We combined cherry tomatoes with sugar, vinegar, garlic, and minced jalapeño, along with a shot of fish sauce for a complex umami backbone. Pressing on the tomatoes as the mixture simmered ensured that they burst and helped thicken the chutney. Since the chutney thickens as it cools, we took it off the heat when it was just shy of a spoonable texture.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use cherry tomatoes; grape tomatoes won’t break down as much and will produce a drier sauce. If you’re spice-averse, consider removing the seeds from the jalapeño before mincing it.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Adjust heat to rapid simmer and cook, uncovered, gently pressing tomatoes occasionally with spatula to make sure they’ve burst, until thickened and spatula drawn across bottom of saucepan leaves trail that slowly fills in, 8 to 10 minutes (mixture will thicken as it cools; do not overreduce). Let cool for 15 minutes and serve. (Chutney can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)