A delightful spin on classic cranberry sauce. Spicy cranberry sauce with ginger, Pinot Noir red wine, curry powder, and Chinese five-spice.
Here is a delightful spin on a fall favorite—cranberry sauce. The cranberries are cooked in Pinot Noir and spiced with curry, ginger, fennel seeds, and other spices.
A Simply Recipes reader shared this Epicurious recipe with me, which so sounded intriguing, we just had to try it!
I reduced the sugar and the curry powder a bit and the cranberry sauce came out beautifully—sweet, but not too sweet, seeped in the flavor of a good Pinot Noir, and enlivened with a rich blend of spices.
I highly recommend it if you would like to stretch a bit beyond the standard cranberry sauce.
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir Recipe
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups
Chinese 5-spice is a common spice mix for Chinese cooking. If you can’t find it, we’ve included directions on how to make your own.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- Large pinch of Chinese five-spice powder*
Method
1 Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, 3-5 minutes.
2 Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
3 Add crystallized ginger, curry powder and five-spice powder.
Serve sauce cold or warm.
*How to make your own Chinese five-spice powder
Chinese five-spice powder Ingredients:
1 teaspoon peppercorns
4 star anise
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
Method:
In a dry skillet, roast peppercorns by shaking the pan over low to medium heat until the aroma of the peppercorns is released (about three minutes). Grind the roasted peppercorns and 4 star anise in a blender or pepper mill. Mix in ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground fennel seeds. Grind the seasonings until very fine. Store in an airtight container.
