Bon Appétit (November 2016)
We had planned to write about this cranberry sauce yesterday. But then election happened and the Internet exploded and cranberry sauce seemed wholly inconsequential and, well, it still does today, but here we are, because life goes on and Thanksgiving approaches and perhaps you need something else to think about.
So here we are: distraction.
Perhaps you don't care about cranberry sauce this morning. That's fine. The food magazines didn't care about cranberry sauce this year, either. It was a short, and fairly boring list of cranberry sauce options. So we picked out what seemed the most interesting of the lot: this Cranberry Chutney with Orange, Figs, and Mustard.
If you're looking to step up your cranberry sauce game, this is a good option.
We've made a whole lot of different cranberry sauces over the years. Some of them are a little more tart, some are sweeter, some are too sweet. Some of them have a little crunch in them, some are more like a gelatin.
Where does this one fall in the mix?
It's very good! The mustard, the vinegar and the cinnamon all give it some nice and slightly unexpected flavor notes. The orange is nice and bright, and we liked including the orange peel here. If we made this again, we'd probably double the amount of figs. They have a great flavor but they got a little lost in here.
Did this cranberry chutney rock our world? Was it the standout hit of our Fakesgiving meal? Well, no. But if you're looking for a very tasty chutney that's a couple notches more interesting than classic cranberry sauce, this is a good one.
What's your Thanksgiving cranberry go-to recipe? We know you have one. Share it with us in the comments below.
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Cranberry Chutney with Orange, Figs, and Mustard
Bon Appétit (November 2016), recipe by Claire Saffitz
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(This image: Alex Lau/Bon Appétit)
Makes about 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium orange, unpeeled, seeds removed, chopped
6 dried Turkish figs, chopped
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 10-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Cook shallot and ginger, stirring occasionally, until shallot is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in orange, figs, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and ½ cup water and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and liquid is reduced to a light syrup, 12–18 minutes. Let cool slightly; season with salt and pepper.
Do Ahead: Chutney can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
