Mango Ketchup

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot, chopped
1 inch knob ginger, chopped
1 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed mango (I used Alfonso mango)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon pepper sherry
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves


Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until really, really smooth. Pour into a small sauce pan and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

My thoughts:

As anyone who knows me (or is a long time reader) knows ketchup, traditional, tomato ketchup is one of three foods (along with pumpkin pie and cantaloupe) I absolutely will not eat. It is so cloying and sweet it hides that flavor of whatever you put it on. Not my style. I prefer sauces that accent flavor, not obscure it.

I dip my fries in frites sauce (homemade or the ones I brought back from Belgium) or spread my burgers with blue cheese dressing, a variety of mustard or mashed up avocados and my seafood with r�moulade, cocktail or tarter sauce. But no ketchup. Although ketchup is most commonly tomato, it doesn't have to be. When I was in Miami for the mango festival a few years ago I tried mango ketchup for the first time. Not too sweet and no tomatoes. This isn't an exact replica, I can't quite remember what was in it but I've had the kept the idea of making a mango ketchup of my own in the back of my mind every since. I finally had the opprotunity to do it and I am glad I did! My mango ketchup is spicy, gingery and full of bright mango flavor. Perfect for your tropical influenced sandwiches.