Usually around this time of the year, a few supermarkets would have some fresh cranberries available in their chiller section. Packed in clear plastic bags, these fresh cranberries are great for making cranberry sauce, a traditional side dish for Thanksgiving’s roast turkey.
Unlike the canned variety, a relish made with fresh cranberries tastes, umm… fresher, and is much more delectable.
However, these past few days, the fresh cranberries are nowhere to be found in the supermarkets I frequent. I wonder why. Maybe the shipments haven’t arrived?
This means I have to make do with the canned variety when I serve my roast turkey this year. I remember reading somewhere that canned cranberry sauce can be enhanced by combining it with orange marmalade. Not a bad idea, considering that some recipes for fresh cranberry sauce use orange juice.
Well, I just tried the cranberry-orange marmalade combination and the result is not bad at all. It gives the canned cranberry sauce a less factory-manufactured taste; instead the flavor is citrusy, more appealing and more homemade.
You don’t have to have turkey to serve this cranberry-orange relish. It also makes a good side dish for roast chicken, pork chops and baked spareribs.
Cranberry-Orange Relish
- 1½ c canned cranberry sauce, preferably the whole berry variety
- ½ c sweet orange marmalade
- ¼ c sugar
- 2 tbsp orange juice
Spoon the cranberry sauce into a mixing bowl and break apart into smaller pieces with a spoon (just enough so the whole berries show). Transfer to a saucepan. Add the orange marmalade, sugar and orange juice.
Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Let boil gently, while stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, around one to two minutes. Transfer to a sauce dish and serve as relish for roast turkey, chicken, pork chops and baked spareribs.
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Cook’s tips:
You can alter the ratio of cranberry sauce to orange marmalade according to your personal taste. The recipe above produces a more citrusy flavor but if you want the relish to be less citrusy, use less orange marmalade.
Be sure to buy sweet orange marmalade, not the bitter kind.
Use pure orange juice (not those labeled orange drinks, which are watery and sugary).
