Monday, July 7, 2008

Papaya Relish

After a commute to Philadelphia and back, and after a day of looking at books from the 1700s, I was pretty tired. I decided to go with a Tofurky sausage since it was quick and easy. But as I was getting them out of the fridge my eye caught the papayas I had bought. Why not jazz up the sausage and make life more exciting? I have called this a relish, but it could be considered a salsa of sorts. Whatever you want to call it, it brings a sweet and fruity tang to sausages, or anything else you might like to put it on. I think mango would work just as well in this recipe, so I am adding it to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1 small papaya (or mango), peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch cayenne
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry onion for 5 mins, until soft and translucent. Do not brown.
2. Add papaya to the pan and fry for 3-4 mins. It should darken and bit and begin to release some juice. Add vinegar to the pan and let it reduce right down (about 2 mins).
3. Add water and sugar to the pan and mix well. The water should cook off, but if it seems too dry, add another tbsp. Let relish cook and thicken.
4. Add spices and adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat and stir in green onions. Let cool a bit and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge.