Cranberry, Orange & Port Sauce

Christmas means different things to different people. For me it means family. My fondest memories of Christmas are when I lived in the North of Scotland and would drive home to my parents’ house on Christmas eve, sometimes through the snow to be met by the delicious smells of pre-Christmas day cooking and the distant hum of computer games being played by my brothers in the games room (which I might add used to be my bedroom until I came home one day to find I’d been moved to the attic and a huge flat screen TV and playstation in place of my bed and desk-although technically I hadn’t been living at home for over 5 years so I couldn't argue too much).

It was around this time that I decided to make my own cranberry sauce and discovered this recipe on a vegetarian Christmas website. The smells which fill the kitchen whilst this is cooking are the smells of Christmas and the end result is so homely and cheerful looking that you can’t help but get that smug glow of a domestic goddess. It also makes a wonderful present.

Unfortunately it’s going to be just me and Mr K for Christmas this year as it’s a bit of a longer drive from Auckland to Scotland but in honour of my parents I am using a bottle of port which they bought for us when they came to visit earlier this year. Cheers!

I struggled to find fresh cranberries at this time of year in Auckland but I did find some lovely organic frozen ones in Wise Cicada in Newmarket which will do the job.

Cranberry, Orange & Port Sauce

Ingredients

This recipe is for approx. 2 cups or 2 jars of sauce. My mason jars  from Stevens can hold just over 1 cup.

·         3 cups (300g) cranberries

·         2 oranges, juice from both and zest from 1

·         1 cup (200g) of castor sugar

·         8 Tbsp. of Port

1.   Add the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, sugar and half the port to a saucepan.

2.   Bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down so that it is just simmering.

3.   Simmer for about 15mins until the sauce becomes syrupy and the cranberries have popped and become pulpy.

Do not allow it to reduce too much and burn. You can cover for 5 mins to allow the fruit to break down without the liquid reducing too much.

4.   Stir in the remaining port and turn off the heat.

5.   Fill some sterilized jars (I sterilise jars by placing them half filled with water in the microwave for 10mins. I cover the lids with hot water and soak for 10mins). Seal and allow to cool before putting in the refrigerator.

    The jars should keep for a few weeks, although I have usually given them all away or eaten them within 2 weeks so I am not sure of their exact shelf life.

So tell me, what are your favourite memories of Christmas?

dinner (just checking my presents taste good)