Vidalia Bourbon Relish

The Washington Post, August 27, 2008

• • Course: Condiment

Summary:

This is the first relish Heather Shorter attempted at home. She developed it for her friend Bill Thomas, owner of the Bourbon restaurants in Washington. Boozy and rich, it is delicious on grilled pork, hamburgers or good-quality hot dogs. Shorter uses Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bourbon.

The relish can be refrigerated in a resealable container for 1 month.

Makes 3 to 4 pints

Ingredients:

• • 2 tablespoons canola oil
• • 5 pounds Vidalia onions, coarsely chopped (about 14 cups)
• • 4 to 6 large cloves garlic, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• • 1 1/2 cups good-quality bourbon
• • 1 to 2 large red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, cored and cut into small dice (1 1/2 cups)
• • 1 cup golden raisins
• • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• • 1 teaspoon turmeric
• • 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
• • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• • 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt (non-iodized salt)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat and add the onions. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and bourbon, stirring well to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the red bell pepper, raisins, vinegar, brown sugar, and the remaining spices; increase the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, with the mixture barely bubbling, until very thick. Taste and add salt as necessary.

At this point, the relish can be transferred to clean jars and refrigerated for up to 1 month.

VARIATION: To pack into sterile jars for shelf-stable storage, see the canning directions in the recipe for Dilled Green Beans; process for 10 minutes and proceed as directed.

Recipe Source:

Based on a recipe from David Rosengarten's "It's All American Food" (Little, Brown, 2003).

69 calories, 1g fat, n/a saturated fat, n/a cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 1g protein.