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Text, recipes and photos by 'UDJDQD$UHLQD+DUULV

Take a Chance on Chamoy

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Make way for a scrumptious new (to us) condiment on the block. Its name is chamoy, and your palate will be stoked by its sweet-sour, salty-and-spicy kick.

I !rst learned of this Mexican concoction via a tweet by Alison Cook, food critic for the Houston Chronicle. Intrigued, I discovered that chamoy is made with pickled fruit combined with spicy dried chiles. Ancho chiles (dried poblano peppers) are commonly used because of their sweet-smoky "avor and distinctive zing. #eir deep red, nearly black leathery "esh accounts for chamoys vivid maroon coloration.

A popular condiment in street food in the land that gave us the chile pepper, chamoy is often added to fruit juice, snow cones (chamoyada) and frozen mango popsicles (mangonadas). Apple slices dipped in chamoy are a common snack in Mexico. Chamoy has gained popularity in the cocktail world too, most notably in margaritas. Mambo Seafoods Chamoy Ritas are hearty, piquant and complex.

Although there are few ingredients in chamoy, the resulting sauce is complex

in "avor. My husband has dubbed it Mexican chutney and Mexican Heinz 57. And its proving to be a very versatile condiment in my home, too. Weve enjoyed it as a glaze on chicken, steak and !sh. We have yet to try it on ice cream imagine the riot of "avors on the palate between rich, sweet cream and salty spice.

Homemade chamoy is far superior to commercial mixtures. My recipe relies on the natural sweetness of mangoes and peaches; smoky and earthy ancho chiles; and a guillijo chile or two for heat. Additives, dyes, preservatives, corn syrup and arti!cial ingredients are unnecessary components, so ditch the store-bought versions.

Serve chamoy with your favorite meats and seafood, or simply as a dip for fruits and vegetables such as melons, apples, pears, bananas, berries, jicama, cucumber, endive and celery.

CHAMOYTake into account that the fruit will need to chill in the pickling liquid one to two weeks before !nishing the recipe.

For the pickled fruit 1 cup white vinegar1 cup water1 tsp. coriander seeds1 tsp. black mustard seeds1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds1 tsp. black peppercorns2 Tbsp. sugar1 Tbsp. salt3 small mangoes (I used the Ataulfo

variety), peeled and sliced4 peaches, peeled and sliced

METHOD: Mix vinegar, water, spices, sugar and salt in a measuring bowl. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.

Place sliced fruit in a 40-oz jar or a couple of smaller jars. Top with as much of the vinegar mixture needed to com-pletely cover the fruit and all the way to the top of the jar. Cover the jar with a lid and shake it gently so that some of the seeds are allowed to move to the bottom.

Refrigerate for one to two weeks to allow the pickling juice to penetrate the fruit.

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To !nish the chamoy

3 ancho chiles, rinsed 1 or 2 guajillo chiles (use more if you

like the heat), rinsed

METHOD: Rip the dried chiles apart and discard the seeds and stems. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Remove pot from heat and add chiles. Soak chiles for about 30 minutes. Drain chiles in a colander and discard the water.

Using a fork, pick out the fruit slices from the jar and place them in a food processor or Vitamix. Discard any mustard seeds and peppercorns that have clung to the fruit. Add drained chiles and process for about 30 seconds. You should have a thick pure. Taste the chamoy and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pickling liquid if you like it tart. For a thinner sauce, add a little water. Pure chamoy until smooth. Serve as suggest-ed above. Refrigerate unused portion for up to two weeks. Yield: 3 cups.

Dragana Areina Harris is a life-long food, wine and travel enthusiast. She blogs about food at draganabakes.blogspot.com and dabbles in chocolate at dragana-bakes.com

RIP THE DRIED CHILES APART AND DISCARD THE SEEDS AND STEMS.

PURE FRUIT SLICES AND CHILES FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS.