FLORIS Kitchenstory No. 4

The neighbour above you tries new dance moves to pass the time, the neighbour below you sings loudly hits with his children. The neighbours are annoying and that at Corona times, when we should all stay at home peacefully. Small gifts sometimes work wonders!

Why don't you leave home-made culinary messages on your neighbours' doorstep?

To strengthen your neighbourhood collective in difficult times, I recommend three delicious relishes for recooking, not only for the neighbours…

What is a relish?

Relishes describe chunky, spicy compote, for which vegetables and fruits are often combined in a piquant way. They go well with any kind of grilled meat or fish, on baguettes and bread, with salads and sometimes just for a snack. The origin is in Indian cuisine and was later incorporated into English cuisine by English colonisation.

My recipies:

Paprika-apricot relish (4-6 persons)

Peel 4 red & yellow peppers with a peeler, cut into quarters, remove seeds and cut into fine strips

1 onion cut into strips

Cut 100g dried apricots into fine strips

Stew all ingredients in a pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil for about 8 minutes until soft

Finely chop 1 garlic clove and add 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder, 2 tablespoons ajvar, 2 tablespoons paprika pulp and 100ml water. Bring to boil and boil for 1-2 minutes until thick. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Pour into a preserving jar (500ml).

Port wine onion-prune relish (4-6 persons)

500g red onions cut into fine strips

Quarter 100g prunes, braise prunes and onions in a pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil for about 8 minutes

Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and braise for 1 minute

Chop 1 clove of garlic, remove the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme and stir in both

Fill up with 200 ml red port wine, 1 tbsp honey and 1-3 tsp red wine vinegar. Reduce to a thick consistency, season with salt and pepper. Pour into a preserving jar (500ml).

Cucumber-Avocado-Apple-Relish (4-6 persons)

Peel 1 organic cucumber, but only peel every second strip, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and finely dice the cucumber

Cook 100 ml apple juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar with ½ TL mustard seed in a small pot for about 2 minutes

Core 1 green apple (Granny Smith) and dice finely

Add cucumber and apple cubes to the stock and braise for another 1 minute while stirring. Pour into a flat dish and let cool as quickly as possible, preferably 3-5 minutes in the freezer.

Peel 1 avocado, remove seeds, dice finely and stir into the cooled relish with 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil. Season with salt. Pour into a preserving jar (500ml).

The relish will keep well in the fridge for several weeks.

Much fun with the preparation and many nice neighbours wishes you

Jens Lehman
Chef de Partie
FLORIS Catering GmbH

Missed previous FLORIS kitchen stories?

Kitchenstory No. 1: Ursel's chicken broth - against scratching in the throat! (by Kerstin Vlasman) Read it here.

Kitchenstory No. 2: Great films against boredom! - Culinary cinema tips from the FLORIS chef personally. Read it here.