Jellied Cranberry-Orange Sauce

With delicate notes of orange and clove and a bright, sweet-tart cranberry flavor, this ruby-red sauce puts the canned stuff to shame.

Yields 1½ cups; serves 6

12 oz. (3 cups) cranberries, rinsed and picked over

1 cup granulated sugar

3 strips orange zest (each ½ x 3 inches)

1 whole clove

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the ingredients with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the berries are mostly broken down and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

While it’s still hot, force the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids with a spatula. Be sure to scrape the mixture from the bottom of the strainer. Whisk well and then transfer to a 2-cup bowl or mold. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap once cool. The cranberry sauce may be made up to 1 week ahead.

To unmold, invert the bowl onto a small serving plate and shake it side to side until the sauce slips onto the plate.

Cranberry-Lime Shrub

Popular in colonial times, a shrub is a sweetened fruit and vinegar syrup. Its mainly used as a drink mixer, but you can also use it to brighten a pan sauce for chicken or pork, add it to whipped cream, or try it in one of the suggestions at right.

Yields about 1 quart

12 oz. (3 cups) cranberries, rinsed and picked over

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup Champagne or white wine vinegar

1 strip lime zest (½ x 2 inches)

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the ingredients with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cranberries are completely broken down, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Puree with an immersion blender. Strain through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate in a jar for up to 2 months.

 

It is a quote. Fine Cooking Magazine October / November 2011