Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A Trio of Different Cranberry Sauces & Ideas for Leftover Cranberry Sauce



Cranberry sauce is always on our Thanksgiving table, sitting right next to the turkey. Even if we aren’t hosting Thanksgiving, which we aren’t this year, I always bring the cranberry sauce.  

I’ve been making my own cranberry sauce for years, but I decided to give a couple of new ones a try this season. Our traditional cranberry sauce is flavored with red wine with a citrus undertone. It will probably always be my favorite.

But today I have two new varieties of cranberry sauce to offer. Both are decidely less sweet than the traditional. The first is a mixture of fresh cranberries and dried tart cherries, flavored with crème de cassis, a popular French black current-flavored liqueur. If you’ve ever drunk a Kir or a Kir Royale, then you’re familiar with cassis. A Kir is a French cocktail made with a dash of crème de cassis and topped with dry white wine. A Kir Royale is made the same way but topped with champagne. In France Kirs are served as an aperitif before dinner. 

The cherry flavor really comes through in this cranberry sauce and offers a new and exciting taste to the traditional. It was Meakin’s favorite of the two.

The second new cranberry sauce we tried is a citrusy one flavored with dried figs and crunchy nuts. It, to me, is much more of a relish and I really enjoyed the crunch of the nuts. My mother used to make a cranberry jelly with pecans and the nuts in this one brought back fond memories for me of my childhood. I can still see the pecan tree in the back yard.



Cranberry Sauce with Cassis and Dried Cherries
Cooking Light – serves 12

1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup finely chopped shallots
2/3 cup dried tart cherries
½ cup crème de cassis (black currant-flavored liqueur) or orange liqueur
¾ cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh lemon rind

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, swirl to coat the pan. Add shallots and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally and taking care not to let brown or burn. Add cherries, crème de cassis, sugar, and cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes or until cranberries began to pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon rind. Cool to room temperature.



Cranberry Fig Relish
Cooking Light – serves 12

1 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges)
¾ cup chopped dried figs
½ cup dry red wine
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1/3 cup chopped roasted pecans or walnuts

Combine the orange juice, figs, and red wine in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add both sugars and the cranberries. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until mixture is slightly thick and berries pop, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Stir in pecans. Cover and chill. If you make this a few days ahead, leave out the nuts until just before serving so they remain crunchy. 



My Carolina Kitchen’s Homemade Cranberry Sauce
A citrus twist on a classic – serves 12

1 (12 ounce) package of fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup dry red wine, such as a Merlot or Syrah
¾ cup to 1 ½ cups sugar, or to taste
2 tangerines or navel oranges

Put the cranberries (no need to thaw if they’re frozen) in a sauce pan with the one of the cinnamon sticks, red wine, and sugar. Zest the tangerines and set aside half of the zest for a garnish. Add the remaining zest and the juice of both tangerines to the cranberry mixture. 

Stir the cranberry mixture and bring to a boil.  Partially cover the saucepan and simmer about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have burst. Remove from the heat, let cool, and discard the cinnamon stick. The sauce will firm up as it cools. It can be refrigerated, covered, for up to five days. Serve at room temperature.

At the last minute, using a microplane rasp style grater, grate a little cinnamon “dust” over the cranberry sauce and garnish with the remaining citrus zest. 

Ideas for left-over cranberry sauce



By the way, if you have left over cranberry sauce, it’s great on a turkey sandwich with horseradish and cream cheese. Or turn it into a sophisticated little holiday appetizer that I posted a year or so ago. Toast slices of a crusty French baguette, top with fresh arugula or watercress, then a dab of cranberry sauce and finish with a slice of good blue cheese or gorgonzola and a crank of freshly ground black pepper. A little more cranberry sauce on the top doesn’t hurt either. Voila, a cranberry & blue cheese crostini. 

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This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farms, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes, Foodtastic Friday at Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Seasonal Sunday at the Tablescaper, and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable. 

Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S.


40 comments:

  1. Fresh cranberries are way too expensive over here...no idea why..The one with blue cheese and cranberry sauce looks heavenly, Sam. And the relish with figs is unique!

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  2. I love this post! I try different cranberry recipes each year. I must give yours a try. I don't believe I have ever used wine in a cranberry sauce....I am also thinking your baguettes sound wonderful! I am pinning this so I don't forget. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Great recipes! I love cranberry sauce and pairing it with cheese.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. Wow, love these new variations, especially the one with cherries. I'm a cranberry sauce tinkerer too!

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  5. All of the cranberry sauces sound great! I've never tried horseradish on a turkey sandwich and it sure sounds good! Happy Thanksgiving Sam-enjoy:@)

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  6. Wonderful sounding recipes.

    Have a lovely Thanksgiving Sam.

    Thank you for sharing all the wonderful recipes that you do.

    Hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  7. You have taken cranberry sauce to a whole new level, Sam. I couldn't imagine a turkey sandwich without a heaping spoonful of cranberries on it. I hope you and Meakin have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

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  8. I really enjoy Cassis..that would be my choice:)
    Happy Thanksgiving to you!

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  9. Mine is very similar to yours! I think I would love the one with the dried cherries. We make extra sauce so that we can have it in sandwiches. Love the idea of serving it on a baguette with blue cheese!

    Happy Thanksgiving.

    Carol

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  10. I like the more tart cranberry sauce too and I do make my own. When we were married, someone gave us a sterling silver cranberry sauce service. It included a tray exactly the size of canned jellied cranberry sauce and a serving spoon exactly the same diameter as the canned sauce.

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  11. I never tried any recipes with cranberry sauce good thing that you shared here how to make one. And it looks like it's just easy to prepare.

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  12. Great recipes. Cranberry sauce is always the pretties thing on the table. What I really love about this post is the left over recipe. Great idea.

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  13. I love home-made cranberry sauce so I'm happy to see 2 versions from my favorite chef-ess. They both look wonderful, but the Kir sold me. I love you, Sam, but you already know that !

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  14. Love cranberries. Thanks for the recipes.

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  15. The sauce with the dried cherries is very similar to the one I make every year and is our favorite. I love the idea of adding cassis to it! I'm going to make a note on my recipe ;)

    I love your idea for using left-over sauce on crostini with cheese!

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  16. Cranberry sauce gives that sweet distinct taste with foods. This recipe is interesting and worth a try.

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  17. Delicious looking and sounding cranberry dishes Sam. Hope you guys have a great holiday.

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  18. Great recipes!! Happy Thanksgiving to You and Family!

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  19. This has to be the most sophisticated cranberry sauce ever! I'm saving this for certain! Love the idea of combining it with gorgonzola on baguettes! I think it would look pretty also as an appetizer! Thanks, Sam and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  20. Sam, what a great post. I love all the recipes and will be making them, one at a time. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Meakin.

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  21. I love the addition of wine! Very classy.

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Sam!

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  22. I enjoy a fresh made cranberry sauce. Your selection this year looks great.

    Do you remember the blog- "A Nod is as Good as a Wink?" it is a shame he does not blog anymore. I use his cranberry recipe every year. I think it is awesome.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Sam.

    Velva

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  23. Yum! These look so good! Happy Thanksgiving to you. Glad I found your blog!
    xo
    Sharon

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  24. So intrigue by the first cranberry sauce recipe. Must try that one for tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. :D Got my eye on your next posts.

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  25. I never see cranberries around so doubt if I will get to try this. I have just made some medlar cheese though which is great with cheese. Happy thanksgiving. Diane

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  26. I enjoy homemade cranberry sauce with my toast in the morning; I can imagine with Cassis...even better.
    Rita

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  27. Very yummy looking cranberries. Such different recipes. I will enjoy trying these. Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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  28. Happy Thanksgiving, Love your cranberry sauce Sam. But more than that I love the idea of your sandwich and crostini with blue cheese--looks awesome!!

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  29. Sam - I hope that you and Meakin had a wonderful, and very delicious, Thanksgiving. It's been years since I've had cranberry sauce on my Thanksgiving table, but your post inspired me to throw one together at the last minute. So glad I did. I will be serving it on crostini with some fine cheese and thanking you with every bite :)

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  30. Sam, can you believe that a few years ago I wouldn't go near cranberry sauce? Crazy, right? These are great leftovers ideas!

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  31. I may have to go buy some more cranberries...

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  32. Hi Sam, all of these sauces look amazing! I make a cranberry relish that is simple and delicious, it's right off the Ocean-Spray package. I'll have to give your sauce a try! I love the idea of using it on a cracker with blue/gorgonzola cheese!

    Happy Weekend!

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  33. oh my gosh! you have created magic with those cranberries!!

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  34. Yum! I love all these cranberry sauce ideas. The figs sound like a really yummy addition!

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  35. Thanks for sharing this assortment of relishes on foodie friday. I love love relish all fall and winter especially on sandwiches.

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  36. Sam, all three of your cranberry recipes look exquisite! I also love the idea of incorporating cranberry relish into an appetizer. I will have to pin thses recipes for next year--thanks!

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  37. Sam, I am saving the appetizer recipe! What a great holiday bite! Why do I always want to make everything you cook?
    YUMMY!

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  38. I can;t have my turkey without my cranberry sauce. It just goes together like pb and j! LOL! Loving all your different versions! Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving

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  39. What a great post! I was just searching for other cranberry sauce recipes then my old one and voila! I love the 2nd one with the figs a lot! Thanks!

    MMMMMM!

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  40. A cranberry sauce with habenero really caught my eye the other day but I like these two a bunch too and that appetizer idea REALLY makes me want it. Gorgonzola and cranberry sauce, yum.

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