Chicken with Loquat Chutney

From the garden

• 1½ lb loquats, halved, seeded and stem ends pinched off
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot red chile, slit lengthwise
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

From the pantry

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp brown mustard seed
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar · less if the fruit is dead ripe
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ cups long-grain rice · cooked, for serving
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Halve each loquat and flick out the big glossy seeds and the papery membrane around them with a thumb, then check the bowl and remove any seed that got past. Loquat seeds are cyanogenic, so throw them away whole and never crush, grind or blend them, and never simmer them in the pan for pectin the way some jam recipes direct.
2. Pat the chicken dry, season it, and sear it in the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes a side, until browned and cooked through. Move it to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon of the fat.
3. Add the mustard seed to the hot pan and wait for it to crackle, then cook the onion and chile over medium heat 5 minutes, until the onion softens and takes a little color. Stir in the garlic and ginger for a minute.
4. Tip in the loquats, vinegar and brown sugar with a good pinch of salt, and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then and pressing the fruit gently, until it collapses into a thick jammy chutney and the vinegar has lost its raw edge.
5. Slice the chicken, return it to the pan with any juices, and fold it through for a minute just to coat.
6. Scatter the cilantro over, taste for salt and pepper, and serve hot with rice.