Cranberry Sauce

When I was a child, I remember wondering what a can-shaped sweet and tart confection had to do with cranberries. I didn't hate the canned cranberry sauce, but it never made much sense to me. It reminded me of the Saturday Night Live line from "Coffee Talk" with Mike Meyers, "Cranberry sauce -- neither cranberry nor sauce, discuss." 

Indeed. The first time I ever made cranberry sauce was in college, when I was participating in a potluck. All the "good sides," such as mashed potatoes and mac 'n cheese, were taken. I was stuck making something I don't remember liking very much. I looked in some southern cookbooks and found what I thought would be good. 5 full pounds of cranberries, hours of simmering, a pound of sugar, nearly a cup of liquor... the list goes on. It wasn't horrible, but it was a cumbersome quantity for a humble college party and wasn't fun to make. I don't really like Cointreau that much, so I was stuck with half a bottle of liquor that someone in my fraternity undoubtedly drank at some point later.

Here's the product of a couple of years experience...

Cranberry Sauce
Serves 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

• 2 lbs fresh cranberries, washed
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 6 whole cloves, studded in 1/2 of the juiced orange

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a high simmer. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes until all spices and sugar are dissolved and the cranberries are softened. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving for maximum flavor and texture.