80 DAYS TO NEW YEARS! (#38)

Drunken Cranberry Sauce

​Even after working so closely with a Michelin trained chef, like Chef Johannes Klapdohr, turkey is still not my thing—definitely not the leftovers from it. No matter what I do to this bird, or what recipe I follow, for me, turkey will never be a gourmet meal. For the last two decades, I’ve prepared a turkey for Thanksgiving. I’ve dressed it, fried it, braised it, stuck a can of beer in it, talked to it—I’ve tried every recipe that came my way, and still, the bird was dry and tasteless. If you’re like me and you cook a turkey just because your family and guests are expecting you to, here is what I do to save the day, and get compliments for the boring bird I serve. I use my mother’s delicious recipe for cranberry sauce that will revive any turkey—it will make it more than just edible. Actually, I’ve shared this recipe in the past and received many thank-you comments and emails about it. So why not share it again? Who knows how many kept the recipe or just didn’t see it… 

​I use this cranberry sauce with other birds like Cornish hens, chicken, duck, and even ham.  Some members of my family just spread it on a slice of bread or even eat it with a spoon.

Mom’s Drunken Cranberry Sauce
 
1 bottle of Ruby Port
1 ½ cups sugar 
2 cups (1 pkg) fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 tbsp. frozen concentrated orange juice (do not dilute)
1 ½ tbsp. fresh ginger—grated
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
 
Place the wine and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.
Add the rest: cranberries, orange juice, ginger and garlic.
Cook over low-medium heat until reduced to 3 cups.
Stir occasionally.
Press the mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl.
Add the residual from the sieve back into the strained mixture.
Place in a nice serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours before serving.
 
Serve cold.

The good news is, if you end up preparing this sauce, it doesn’t matter what the big bird tastes like, as the cranberry sauce will do the trick.
 
Happy Cooking!
 
Michelle