Mia Cucina Su Cucina

I worked in culinary retail for many holidays and every year at Thanksgiving the retail location would put out a list of recipe suggestions. On their list there would be a different cranberry sauce every year. I would try it out and inevitably I would not like it. In fact, I really did not like the skins and things that were in the sauce. I was too embarrassed to serve the can jelly stuff so my search went on. Finally, in complete exasperation, I ask if any of my co-workers knew of a “GREAT” cranberry sauce. One wonderful soul said, “Try this one.” I read her recipe and it had Port in it. A sauce with liqueur had to be good. 

I took the recipe home and made it for Thanksgiving dinner. It was met with raving reviews and I completely agreed. I had finally found a recipe that I wanted to add to my holiday folder. I made it for Christmas as well.

The phone rang recently and it was my sister. She wanted my cranberry sauce recipe. I dug out the folder and dusted it off. I was going to email it to her, but figured I may as well put it on my blog so all my wonderful readers could try it out too. Enjoy and may you add it to your Thanksgiving folder. 

This sauce really is more of a compote. I always make this sauce on the Monday of Thanksgiving week. The longer this sauce sits the better it tastes. It will last a couple of weeks, at least that is what the recipe states, it is usually gone by the end of the meal with my Family. In the past, I have used 1 1/4 cups of real maple syrup instead of sugar. Use the amount that suits your taste.

Cranberry Sauce (Compote)

4 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup of seedless golden raisins
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
6-8 tablespoons Port
1 cup walnuts, chopped (I use pecans)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

Wash cranberries. Place cranberries and water in a medium saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes or until the skins pop open. Add the sugar, raisins, apple, zest and juice of lemon and orange. Cooked on medium low heat 15 minutes, uncoved.

Remove from heat and stir in wine, walnuts and nutmeg. Let cool and chill. Makes 4 cups