Every year, we get together with our friends Sophie and Guillaume, as well as their lovely daughters. Our table got gradually extended to special guests: their cousin Camille, and this year Joyce, Victoire's friend from McGill. Since I love cooking and even more planning, thinking of Thanksgiving starts waking me up at night a few weeks before, thinking about a certain ingredient or spice that I might want to try this year. It has also become some kind of challenge, to make the traditional turkey as exciting (should I say sexy) as possible.
Cranberry sauce is a staple of Thanksgiving dinners, and the good news is that you can prepare it a few days in advance. It is also great in sandwiches with your turkey leftovers. I have been using this recipe adapted from William Sonoma for several years. I enjoy the fact that the baked apples make it milder and more subtle. You can adjust the quantity of sugar based on how sweet you want this relish to be (mind you, cranberries are quite bitter).
Ingredients:
1 cup glass orange juice
1 cup water
1 apple, peeled and cut in cubes
3 cups fresh cranberries rinsed, with the soft ones discarded
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves
In a saucepan, heat the orange juice and water, add all the ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the apple is tender, the cranberries have all burst and the sauce thickens. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for one hour before serving. You can also store it in the fridge for a few days.
