Cranberry compote ingredients
Simmering
Finished cranberry compote
Thank goodness for the acidity in the cranberries to help cut through the richness of the rest of this meal. I beg you not to make this dish too sweet. I’ve added some minced ginger root which provides a gentle heat as well as ground cloves and cinnamon. All are pleasantly warming ingredients to cook with. The pairing of apples, orange juice and cranberries isn’t anything new. Ocean Spray kinda beat me to it huh? If you make this a day or even two before, the flavors will really sing. This is sort of like a chutney actually, I think you’ll love it. Make sure to adjust the sweetness and acidity to taste on the day of and serve it at room temperature. I always add a little fresh lime juice to this at the last minute to brighten it even further.
Cranberry Compote
5 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed well
1 tablespoon shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon ginger and its juice, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup apple, peeled and diced
¼ teaspoon ground clove powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
¾ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup water
1 two inch cinnamon stick
Juice of one lime
Combine the cranberries, shallots, ginger, lemon zest, apple, clove powder, cinnamon powder, orange juice, brown and white sugar and the salt and pepper in a sauce pan and bring to a slow boil. Turn heat to low and simmer uncovered until the cranberries begin to break down partially. You want some of them to maintain their shape. In a separate saucepan combine the honey, water and cinnamon stick. Cook over medium heat until the honey is fully dissolved. Add the honey mixture to the cranberries and combine. Finish with fresh lime-juice and adjust sweetness to taste. Makes three cups. Can be made two days ahead.