Thanksgiving 2010: Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish

Everyday Food (November 2010)

Oh, cranberries! Why oh why do we only cook with you once a year?

Seriously, you might find cranberry sauce on your plate at Christmas, but for the most part they're relegated to one day and one day only.

Which is a shame, of course. Cranberry sauce is such a fantastic accompaniment to turkey or chicken. And it's even great with pork.

Plus, it's so ridiculously easy to make! Since cranberries are so high in pectin, they literally thicken a sauce on their own. Honestly, you can make a simple cranberry sauce simply by heating some cranberries and sugar on the stove until the berries burst. It's barely any more work than opening a can.

In looking for a cranberry sauce to try this year, we were drawn to this Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish. It sounded like the promise of a good thing made even better.

The pomegranate juice gives this cranberry relish a really nice, tart kick. And the seeds add even more zingy tartness, as well as some nice texture.

All in all, it's a classic cranberry sauce with just a hint of something new and fun and unexpected.

We'd make this again for sure -- and we may even do it before next Thanksgiving rolls around.

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Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish
Everyday Food (November 2010)
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Makes 2 cups
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
coarse sea salt and black pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallot, cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add cranberries, pomegranate juice, and brown sugar, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in pomegranate seeds (if using). Let cool to room temperature before serving. (To store, refrigerate in airtight container, up to 1 week.)