Blackberry Apple Relish

My aim was to make a good, savory blackberry sauce. One that would creatively accompany a main course like grilled fish or meat. I tell you, it’s been a windy road to get there.

I think it comes down to the color.

Blackberries are, well, black. Very, very dark. For dessert, this is not a problem — a dark purple sorbet or pie filling that’s inky blackish purple come off as fun, like a whimsical finish to the meal. But when you’re aiming for a savory sauce, such dramatic dark purple poses a challenge.

First I tried a blackberry beurre blanc for a salmon filet I’d bought. I’ve adored beurre blanc since I went to cooking school, where I was first introduced to its buttery goodness. A perfect accompaniment to poached fish, if I remember the lesson correctly.

Beurre blanc is a rich, delicate sauce that requires a good amount of attention to keep the heat just warm enough, and the butter cold enough, so that the emulsion doesn’t break into an oily mess. I thought that adding blackberries would add a seasonal punch of summer, an interesting twist to a traditional sauce.

The flavor came through wonderfully. Packed with intense berry flavor, and enough tartness from the vinegar to balance with all the rich butter. When I closed my eyes and tasted, all was good.

But when I looked down at the plate to see the shocking dark purple sauce next to my pale spring salmon — white spring, no less — I was a little horrified.

I turned next to a richer sauce, one to pair with grilled pork tenderloin. Pork lends itself well to fruit sauces, so one with blackberries seemed promising. I just winged it — sautéed shallots, blackberries, dash of wine and balsamic vinegar, some chicken stock, and a little butter to give it a velvety richness. Sounds reasonable, right?

Well, the flavor was pretty decent with the berry flavor coming through very well. (Blackberries are definitely not shy about flavor.) It was a good complement to the pork. Perhaps not as good a pairing as duck or venison, but unquestionably better than the beurre blanc with salmon.

Again, it was the color. Such a dark purple. When I accidentally tilted my plate and saw the sauce sliding towards my white potatoes, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t help but think I should have saved this recipe for a dark, rainy winter night when it’s blowing a gale outside. (Even better: a night when the power is out, eating by dim candlelight.)

After racking my brain for a few days on how to make a savory blackberry sauce work, despite its intense color, it suddenly dawned on me. Aha! I bet blackberries would make a great relish.

I thought of the cranberry-pear relish recipe from Fields of Greens that I make at Christmas. I also thought of Branston pickle which I enjoy very much, especially with a slice of cheddar cheese. Both the cranberry relish and Branston pickle are sweet and tart, and intensely flavored. And their colors — vibrant red for the cranberry relish, blackish brown for the pickle — hasn’t seemed to keep us from serving them again and again.

I grilled up some chicken breasts on the bone. With some salad greens and a few spoonfuls of blackberry apple relish at the side of my plate, it was a delightfully colorful summertime dinner. This time, I was disappointed that I was cooking for one. Luckily the relish keeps well. I’ll be sharing it with Bob very soon.