Red grapes beginning to shrivel…

I don’t know why, but every time I walk past the Turkish supermarkets I seem to be drawn in to buy a big bunch of grapes. Despite the protests of the other foodie, I promise to definitely eat them this time… and then I never do. They sit in the fruit bowl slowly shriveling and making me feel guilty. So this week I decided to roast the grapes into a quick chutney to serve with a cheeseboard.

This easy Roasted Red Grape Chutney goes well with any strong flavoured cheese, especially a mature goats cheese, or even served with sausages or roast chicken. It keeps in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

You need:

500g red or black seedless grapes (approx)
2 generous tbsp good quality olive oil
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1-2 tsp dried rosemary

Method:

In a large oven-proof dish simply combine all the ingredients, tossing the grapes around to make sure they’re all covered in oil, herbs and seasoning. You could vary the flavours, maybe adding Turkish chilli flakes, or swapping rosemary for oregano or thyme.

Combine all the ingredients

Heat your oven to 220 C / Gas 7. Roast the grapes for 45 minutes – 1 hour, shaking them occasionally, until the grapes burst and the grape juice begins to thicken.

Shake occasionally to stop them burning

Your finished sticky result

As they roast the natural sugars in the grapes caramelizes, the fruit softens and the flavour intensifies, developing into a jammy chutney. Leave them to cool slightly, then transfer to a glass jar, seal tightly and keep in the fridge.

Serve with your favourite cheese