Thanksgiving 2013: Cabernet Cranberry-Kumquat Sauce

Bon Appétit (November 2013)

We've got a bone to pick with Bon Appétit. 

Last Thanksgiving, we were really excited about making a side dish of Hearty Greens with Kumquats. It seemed like such an interesting twist on basic greens that we were eager to try it as part of our run-up to Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we couldn't find kumquats anywhere. We tried several grocery stores and specialty produce markets; we even looked at ordering some online. But they were nowhere to be found. Too bad, we thought. We ditched the dish.

This year, like Charlie Brown trying to kick a kumquat-flavored football, we fell for it again.

This Cabernet Cranberry-Kumquat sounded like a wonderful, unique spin on traditional cranberry sauce. We flagged it as a must-try recipe.

And then we started calling grocery stores. Same as last year: Nobody had any kumquats, and nobody knew when they'd be coming in. We called every place we could think of. (In a truly next-level display of craziness, we even called a couple produce places in New York City. Clay had a work trip to New York, and we briefly considered bootlegging some kumquats on Amtrak. But even the New York purveyors didn't have any.)

Now, in fairness, we were doing our Great Kumquat Search a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving. But most of the places we talked to said they don't usually get kumquats until January.

All of which leads us to an inescapable conclusion:

A) Bon Appétit has a time machine; or 

B) Bon Appétit has a kumquat-cloning machine; or

C) You might have to make a substitution to this recipe.

We've got some ideas for one of those. (Sadly, we're fresh out of time machines and cloning devices.)

 Instead of kumquats, we used satsuma oranges and lemon zest. We can pretty reliably find satsumas this time of year (at least at Whole Foods). If you can't find satsumas, tangerines or mandarins ought to work just fine too. We threw a half-cup of those in this recipe, along with about a tablespoon of lemon zest, to approximate that sourness you'd get from the peel and pith of kumquats.

In the end, it's a very easy substitution. We loved this sauce. The tart cranberries and the sweet/sour citrus are lovely, and the cabernet gives it a wonderfully fruity, rich flavor base. It's delicious.

And we can't wait to make it in January, when we can actually find some kumquats.

 

 

Cabernet Cranberry-Kumquat Sauce
Bon Appétit (November 2013) - Recipe by Tim Mondavi
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Nutritional Information available at BonAppetit.com

(This photo: Mikkel Vang for Bon Appétit)

Servings: 10

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries (one 8-oz. bag)
1 cup dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup seeded sliced fresh kumquats

DIRECTIONS

Bring cranberries, wine, sugar, and kumquats to a boil in a medium saucepan, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, until cranberries burst and release juices, 15–20 minutes. Let cool.
 

DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.