Can I Use An Alternative To Dates For The Christmas Chutney?

Our answer

Nigella's Christmas Chutney (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) uses dates and cranberries to give chutney a seasonal Christmas flavour. The dates bring a caramelly sweetness to the chutney.

Dates are our preferred ingredient, but if you can't eat them then we suspect that dried figs would be the closest alternative. Use the soft type of dried figs that come in a bag and not the type that come in a block. Remove any hard stems and roughly chop the figs before adding them to the pan. You should use the same quantity as for the dates. But please note that as we have not tried the chutney with this alternative, we are unable to guarantee the results. You may also like to try Nigella's Fig And Olive Chutney as a quick and date-free alternative.