Well winterfest / thanksgiving was a blinding success with lots of homemade fayre and good cheer. One of the stars of the day was Luke’s amazing cranberry sauce, so cheekily I asked if I could have the recipe in return for the fame and fortune that goes with having it on the blog (you remember Luke, our American friend whom we made brownies for way back at the start of the blog).
It’s a proper tangy sauce which went well with everything on the menu. Indeed Luke (Old Mole himself) has said,
“Good on its own, with cheese, on sandwiches, in porridge, etc… Eat it with scabby dog if that takes your fancy.”
So without further ado – here is the recipe for
Old Mole’s Fiery Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- 250 g fresh cranberries (Frozen is OK, but not dried.)
- 50 ml port
- 50 ml water
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 150 grams light brown muscavado sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 inches fresh stem ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
- pinch salt and pepper to taste
1. Start by peeling the ginger. You can use as little or as much of this as you like. The more you use the more fire your sauce will have.
Slice the ginger into thin circles. Then chop them finely, reserving a few slices to go in whole or roughly chopped to add to the texture.
2. Use a peeler to slice off 1/3 of the zest of the orange. Try to avoid as much of the white pith beneath the surface as possible as it can add a bitterness to your sauce.
Slice the zest as finely as possible into long slivers.
3. Juice the orange and discard the rest.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot, mix well, and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes.
5. Turn the temperature down and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, or until thickened with soft berries. Stir occasionally. I tend to use a wooden spoon to mash some of the berries against the side of the pot. Ideally you want a split combination of whole cranberries and a ruby mash for a nice texture.
6. Pot or jar and allow it to cool.
Note: Adjust the sweetness to your own taste by adding or subtracting 50g of sugar. Some people like their cranberry sauce sweeter than others.
You can look out for recipes, homemade projects and other such delights at Luke’s own blog – http://makingmoleend.wordpress.com
