Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Cranberry Blast

If you look at my 101 in 1001 list, three of the items under cooking all involve Thanksgiving foods. Last year I made both the gingerbread crust and oyster stuffing (and even made them both again this year). But for something new, this year it was time for cranberry sauce.

I didn't have a specific recipe I wanted to try, but I was looking for something reminiscent of the one my mom used to make. I searched online and came across Alex Guarnaschelli's version, who you probably know as a judge on Food Network's Chopped. Hers had a similar feel towards what I remember. Luckily, while it may not have been an exact match, it is pretty similar to what I grew up having, so I have a feeling I'll be seeing it on my Thanksgiving table a number of times in years to come.

Alex Guarnaschelli's Cranberry Sauce
Alex Guarnaschelli's Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound fresh cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced

Directions
Step 1
1. Combine the cranberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Step 2
2. Bring down to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice, and nutmeg. Stir and let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
(Don't be like me and completely forget about the cinnamon stick! Thankfully I remembered to add it as I was starting to cool everything down, and I don't think you really noticed. But still, it's helpful if you remember all the ingredients!)
Step 3
3. Add the orange zest and juice. Let cool before serving
Cranberry Sauce
I know a lot of people tend to use the canned cranberry sauce each year, but really when you see how easy it is to make, it's hard to justify not cooking it yourself. Actually, I can't ever remember having canned sauce since it was one thing my mom made every year. Although a version like this was her normal, she'd also mix it up at times and even molded her own.

What's your favorite way to enjoy cranberry sauce?

8 comments:

  1. I used to use canned sauce but now I make my own too. So easy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love recipes like this and I also make a "relish" type cranberry dish with them pulsed in the processor and mixed with the zest and juice!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That looks like a delicious cranberry sauce. My mom always makes it from scratch and I don't know that I've ever had it out of the can!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That looks really good! I actually like the canned sauce even though I know it's so not classy and probably not good for you! But I love my mom's. She makes one that looks/sounds similar to the one you make.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I made cranberry sauce with candied ginger and pear and it's delicious. Great with yogurt, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds absolutely delicious! Do you happen to have the recipe to share? I just might have to try making it myself next year!

      Delete
  6. I make my sauce similar to this. A few years ago, I added some cherry chutney. It was a really nice twist to the plain cranberry / sugar taste.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My dad loves the canned stuff. My mom would usually just slide it out of the can into a dish and put it on the table. But that just didn't sit right with me so I started handling the task. I'd slice along the can lines and fan it out all pretty. A little better but still canned! Making it yourself is so easy. As you know, we made the same recipe this year :)

    ReplyDelete