Cranberry Sauce

It’s that time of year again-the holidays are officially upon us. Step into any grocery store and you will immediately get the sense of the frenzy that accompanies the season. You can hardly get your cart through the aisle with all the shoppers hurriedly throwing things into their carts. My first thought is “will I have time to get everything done once I get out of here?”.

As much as I love to cook and entertain, I am happy that I am not preparing the entire Thanksgiving feast. We are part of a celebration with friends with everyone pitching in with the cooking. One of my assignments is the cranberry sauce. This is not the cranberry sauce of my youth. Of course I grew up with the jellied sauce in the can. Didn’t you too? This has been my “go to” sauce for years now. A little tart, a little sweet and full of spices reminiscent of fall, this pairs splendidly not only with poultry, but also with pork. I love it the “day after” spread on a sandwich with leftover turkey and stuffing. Let the cooking begin!

Cranberry Sauce yield 4 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
5 medium cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1-1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup port
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 small cinnamon stick
1 nickel size slice, fresh ginger
2 whole cloves

Heat oil, saute onion until softened and then add garlic, saute. Add both types of cranberries and all the rest of the ingredients, up to the cinnamon stick. Take cinnamon stick, ginger and cloves and tie into a small bundle with a piece of cheesecloth. Add to the pot, bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower and simmer until thickened, about 40 minutes. Remove spice bundle and chill. Enjoy!

Lucca Spring 2105-Cook, Eat, Laugh & Shop With Panini Girl