THE CASE FOR MULTIPLE CRANBERRY SAUCES
Yes, you can still have canned, too.
Happy Thursday-before-Thanksgiving. It’s our 3-year anniversary of writing W4D! Thanks for reading and subscribing!
Our very first newsletter was Anthony’s Turkey Timeline—scroll down to print a PDF of his classic Thanksgiving menu, complete with a schedule AND a grocery list!
Since that day, we have been celebrating all things food and drink, and produced a masterclass in turkey talk. Even if you’ve made turkey a thousand times, it’s always a good idea to refresh your memory, since most of us only roast/grill/smoke/fry a turkey once a year. Check out our Turkey 101 Guide for the basics, then if you want to cook something new, try preparing your turkey one of three ways.
This week, we’re turning our attention to the sweet-tart lady of the Thanksgiving plate. She provides a good amount of acidity and brightness to what’s typically a very brown, rich-tasting plate. We’re talking about the CRANBERRY. Whether you like a homemade sauce or one from a can (there’s room for BOTH on your table, people!), we’ve got some surprising ways to use the humble cranberry. Elizabeth made a warm and punchy Cranberry Mostarda, and Anthony is baked up one of his favorite recipes that puts the cranberry front-and-center, Cranberry-Pecan Bread.
CRANBERRY MOSTARDA
EK: Cranberries aren’t just for Thanksgiving! Even though we love them on the Thanksgiving table, they are good for so much more.
AU: Not the least of which is cranberry juice, to make my favorite Thanksgiving-adjacent cocktail, the Quirky Turkey!
EK: That’s right?! Tis the season!!
Since fresh cranberries are only available for the next 4-5 weeks, I always buy extras and put them in my freezer. That’s because there’s so many ways to use fresh cranberries, all winter long.
Thanksgiving is more about tradition and nostalgia than anything else. That’s why we thought it would be fun to feature cranberries in ways that don’t compete with that jiggly canned cranberry log. These two recipes are great for gift giving, entertaining, or treating yourself—even if it’s just an average Tuesday night.
Those of you who have been with us for a while may remember that we both have a lot of Turkey Day work experience, my first job was managing the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line and Anthony always produced a week of Thanksgiving programming every year at GMA and The Chew. So it was fitting that our first Substack in 2021 was all about Thanksgiving!
AU: Happy W4D Anniversary to us! It’s an annual rite of passage to revisit alllll those turkey tips that we’ve been repeating for years and years. But they still ring true!
EK: Needless to say, I did a deep dive into Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving traditions, regional recipes and eventually my own recipes. I found that making cranberries into “cranberry sauce“ was like having a blank canvas. It’s easy to make and lends itself to many variations with just about any other flavor ingredient you can think of.
EK: The first sauce that I made was a “cranberry chutney” and it’s still one of my favorites. I wanted to make a version of cranberry sauce that was more like a preserve with lots of fruit and layers of flavor. I called it chutney because I like the alliteration of cranberry chutney and to me, chutney synonymous with big chunks of fruit (even if it’s s not an authentic chutney).
Over the years, this recipe became one of my signature dishes, and I have taken it to many a Thanksgiving celebration. I always include a pretty bowl and give it to the host as my contribution to dinner and their gift. This brand-new Cranberry Mostarda is a variation on my Cranberry Chutney, and one that is tailor-made for cheese and charcuterie but can do double duty on Turkey Day.
EK: I’ve always loved the idea of mustard and fruit, but had never made a cooked version until this year.
AU: There’s something about the sharp mustard that compliments the sweet-tart fruit so well.
EK: Exactly!! Mostarda di Frutta is Italian for spicy mustard and fruit preserves. It is often made with candied fruit and mustard oil, but has become synonymous with a spicy sweet tangy condiment and can be served with everything from meats to cheese— and with this recipe the Thanksgiving turkey.
There are lots of recipes, and numerous ways to prepare an Italian Mostarda di Frutta. Some are glistening whole fruits that look candied, and a lot of them are a collection of small chunks of fruit in a spicy-sweet syrup. Occasionally, you find a recipe for one that is more like jam, and these are the recipes that I gravitate towards.
EK: I love using cranberries because the high amount of pectin in cranberries makes the final condiment more “jammy” (in the sense that everything is stuck together). I use the term Mostarda loosely because it has all of the identifying ingredients including whole mustard seeds, fruit and vinegar, but this is a decidedly American version full of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg—with the addition of mustard seeds!
EK: It comes together very quickly and only needs 10-15 minutes to cook down (but takes several hours to completely cool before you can serve it). This recipe will make a little more than 2 cups and I used one bag of fresh cranberries. It can be easily doubled if you want to keep a jar and give one away—and once you taste it, you probably will!
EK: Even if you are a fan of the canned cranberry “sauce,“ you should make this version and use it solely for cheese, charcuterie, leftover turkey sammies and gifts! And, if you are looking for the perfect cheese to go with it, try the special edition of Jasper Hill Harbison Mini Washed With Sandeman Porto which echos the Port in the Mostarda.
If you want to make this as a homemade holiday gift, I would suggest buying smaller jars and gifting it with a nice condiment spoon, cheese knife or pretty bowl.
CRANBERRY-PECAN BREAD
AU: If you’re looking for a sweet treat that can moonlight as breakfast or dessert, have I got a recipe for you. This Cranberry Pecan Bread is great to gift to friends and neighbors, and is perfect to set out for any out-of-town guests as a self-serve accompaniment to morning coffee. The cranberries look like rubies that run through the loaf. It’s like the pecan-laden cousin of a cranberry-orange muffin, and it’s so so addictive.
EK: It really is! We both made this a couple of times last year and it is one of those quick breads that you will want to keep on holiday rotation.
AU: I originally found it on Smitten Kitchen’s website, and I can see why it’s a classic for her.
Full disclosure: I’m typically not a huge ORANGE person, but there’s something about the zing of the citrus that combines with the tart pops of the cranberries and the nuttiness of the pecans—it just all WORKS!
This recipe makes a BIG loaf, so if your loaf pan is on the smaller side, I would scoop some into a muffin tin, so your pan isn’t too full (the one I just baked def overflowed—joy!).
Like my Lemon-Raspberry Loaf, you start by rubbing the zest of two oranges into the sugar until it turns a pale orange hue. The whole house will smell like a Dreamsicle—it’s lovely. Then you take those two oranges and juice them, combining the juice with sour cream or full-fat yogurt.
EK: A sour-cream cake crumb is my favorite for coffee cake and a nice breakfast loaf. The richness of the sour cream or full fat yogurt makes the cake so moist without making the actual crumb too dense. It’s light and rich—perfect for nibbling on with a strong espresso or cup of tea.
AU: The only “fussy” thing about this dish is that you need to halve the cranberries. Like Smitten Kitchen, I’ve also tried making it by chopping them (too much cranberry), and leaving them whole (not enough cranberry—and too much in one bite). Cutting them in half leads to the perfect cranberry-to-pecan ratio. It’s no fussier than pitting cherries for a pie, so get your meditation on and halve the cranberries with a paring knife.
Other non-negotiable is to TOAST YOUR NUTS. Toasting the pecans takes the flavor from ‘meh’ to ‘my lordy!’ And you need that roasty-toasty flavor to round out the tart orange and cranberries.
This is truly one of my favorite treats—I look forward to making every year. Even if you’re someone who “doesn’t like” cranberries OR orange, I still think you should try it. Plus, the loaf is great for 5-6 days at room temp (like it will last that long!).
We know that you are going to love it!
It seems we only hear about cranberries at this time of year, but they’re really an underrated fruit. I especially like them in cakes. Your cranberry pecan loaf sounds terrific! I appreciate the advice to halve the berries and toast the pecans.