I’ve discovered that Thanksgiving cranberry sauce is a deeply personal thing. As a kid, it was the jellied canned type; the ridges and distinctive sound of the jelly releasing from the can were as much a part my Thanksgiving tradition as turkey and stuffing. Around 12 years old, I got snooty and insisted on whole berry cranberry sauce, ironically also from a can. Alas, my true snootiness had yet to be refined. That came in my twenties, as I became a more involved cook and hosted my first Thanksgiving. Because I am an absurd overachiever and apparently hadn’t taken on enough for my first attempt, I made a sauce with whole, fresh berries from the recipe on the back of the bag. While I haven’t hosted many Thanksgivings of my own, I’ve discovered that offering to make the sauce is easy and happily accepted by harried hosts. For years, I used this triple berry sauce and while it remains my ideal of a classic cranberry sauce, I’m always open to new ideas. This is where my friend Maurine stepped in.
I met Maurine through my friend Kate Hill in their beautiful corner of Southwest France. She is a delightful woman, a California transplant full of energy and light and ideas with a big laugh and incredible blue eyes that sparkle. I swear, her eyes truly sparkle. I just adore her. She has a great blog full of stories of her life in Southwest France and has been doing really fun French cooking classes on Facebook throughout the pandemic. Check her out! Several years ago, she posted a picture on Instagram of her cranberry chutney, a tradition in her house. I was intrigued and she generously shared her recipe; a mix of fresh cranberries, whole orange, dried fruits and spices. Let me make this abundantly clear: it is delicious. Incredibly delicious. A wonderful mix of sweet and tangy, a little spicy; full of bright flavors and interesting textures. It is great as a turkey accompaniment but really shines on a leftovers sandwich. Don’t limit yourself to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it works wonders on a cheese plate any time of the year and is wonderful with goat cheese and cheddar in particular. One Christmas I got really crafty and molded a cheeseball around it so there was a cranberry chutney surprise center. Delightful!
This is one of those dump it all in a pot and let ‘er rip kind of recipes that I really appreciate. It starts with fresh cranberries and is enhanced with a variety of fresh and dried ingredients, spices and just enough vinegar to give it that tangy chutney hit. The orange – I used clementines – is chopped whole, rind and all, and thrown into the pot. As a lover of candied rind, this absolutely delights me. The dried fruit – cranberries, figs, raisins, cherries – can be varied to your tastes. I really like the addition of dried figs but I didn’t have any so I threw in a few prunes, purchased from a village near Maurine so it felt perfectly appropriate. I also switched out the raisins for currants. Hard, dry little unattractive nuggets. (FYI, chutneys are great uses for those dried fruits that maybe don’t look so hot but still have great flavor. The heat/moisture combo revives them quite nicely.) I would also encourage you to not skip the nuts as they add a nice texture to the finished chutney; the recipe calls for pistachios but any nut will do. Whatever your ingredient mix, bring it all to a boil until the cranberries pop, about 3-4 minutes, and it’s done. It will take you longer to round up the ingredients than it will to cook.
I don’t know what your Thanksgiving plans are under these new covid surges but I urge you to be smart and be careful. As much as we absolutely hate it, in person indoor gatherings are risky so it’s time to think differently. My friends are planning a Friendsgiving potluck where we each claim a dish and portion it out. We’ll meet up somewhere for an exchange, each person going home with a full dinner. A few hours later, we’ll reheat, regroup and dine together via zoom call. It’s not traditional or what any of us would choose given the option but we’re adapting. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate these people. I’m planning on making this chutney and raising a glass in Maurine’s general direction.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: EASE INTO IT. Maurine likes to make a double batch and gift it to friends and I think that might be a wonderful thing to do in these weird times. I’ve made smaller ½ batches, often in the offseason with frozen cranberries that work perfectly. It’s a great thing to have on hand as it really elevates deli counter turkey sandwiches. And here’s a hot tip – spread some on the bread before making a grilled cheese. Swoon.
Some other great Thanksgiving recipes:
appetizers – Bacon Cheddar Gougeres, Southern Cheese Straws, Baked Brie with Savory Fig Jam, Port Wine Cheese Log, Spicy Seeded Parmesan Straws, Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Antipasto Squares, French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Spiced Pecans, Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers , Mustard Puff Pastry Bâtons
starters & side dishes – Maple Bourbon Carrots, Roasted Delicata Squash – 4 Ways, Maple Mustard Glazed Delicata, Brussels Sprouts & Shallots, Baked Corn Pudding, Thanksgiving Stuffing Stuffed Squash, Roasted Stuffed Squash, Easy Squash Carrot Soup, Sherry Candied Walnut Salad, The Original Kale Salad, Kale Salad with Crispy Salami & Chickpeas
desserts: French Apple Tart, French Apple Tart for a Crowd, French Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Cider Apple Pie, Classic Apple Pie, Simple Apple Tarts, Gingerbread with Bourbon Sauce, Classic Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Roulade, Sweet Pumpkin Empanadas, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Cranberry Crumble Tart
eleven years ago: Cider Donuts
ten years ago: Classic Wedge Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
nine years ago: Maple Buttermilk Spoonbread with Glazed Pears
eight years ago: Kale & Squash Salad, Lemon Slice Cookies
seven years ago: Sunday Lunch Ramen, Apple Cider Rolls, Pumpkin Spice Granola
six years ago: From Scratch Rum Cake
five years ago: Caldo Verde (Portugese Kale Soup)
four years ago: Creamy Steel Cut Oats with Roasted Pumpkin and Pumpkinseed Crumble, Turkey Egg Drop Soup,
three years ago: Chunky Applesauce Cake, Crispy Squash Sandwich, Dairyland Sour Cream Apple Bars
two years ago: Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
last year: Date Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Caramel Glaze
MAURINE’S CRANBERRY CHUTNEY – from Maurine’s recipe
Makes about 2 cups
12 ounces fresh cranberries (1 bag)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 medium orange or 2 clementines, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
½ cup raisins (I used currants)
¼ cup pistachio nuts, chopped
6 dried figs, chopped (I used prunes)
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup white vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 Tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase the heat and let the mixture boil until the fresh cranberries pop, about 3-4 minutes.
- Let sit, covered, off the heat for 30-60 minutes to allow the dried fruit to fully plump.
- Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate. I like to let it sit for a few days before using to let the flavors fully meld but have been known to make a sandwich and spoon some right out of the pot too. Will keep refrigerated for months.
STRESSCAKE 