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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
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.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir
I have been making this recipe for about 8 years now.. it is THE BEST cranberry sauce recipe I have EVER tasted. My husband could finish it with a spoon if I don’t keep it away from him! Everyone that tastes it love it. When I tell them the ingredients they are usually blown away that it has curry powder. This is now our family tradition.. no matter what else is made for the holidays, this cranberries are ALWAYS center stage :)
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Hi! Can I make it using dried cranberries? I can´t find the fresh ones where I live in Brazil.
Hi Geisly,
Dried cranberries don’t rehydrate very well, plus it can be quite impossible to find unsweetened ones, which is what you’d need here. Cranberries are very North American, aren’t they? Maybe another tart berry could stand in…ligionberries or red currants are two options, but those are not very Brazilian, either! If I were down there I’d go to the market with you and explore all the wonderful Brazilian fruits looking for an alternative. My best suggestion is looking for canned sauce, if it’s that taste you crave, of to make an apple chutney (recipe here) laced with dried cranberries instead of fresh.
I found this recipe November 2007. It is still a hit. Hands down the best cranberry sauce I have ever had. I loose stuff all the time and every year I thank God this recipe is still here.
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Hi, Shannon! I’m Summer, an editor here at Simply Recipes. I’m so glad you’ve found a recipe that has endured. Those are the best kind!
Wondering….can this be canned like you do jam?
Hi, Helen! We haven’t tried canning this one, so can’t say for sure. I’d recommend looking up other cranberry sauce recipes that provide canning instructions and working back from there. Good luck!
Thanks Emma
This recipe is fantastic. After serving it warm on Thanksgiving, I spread it cold on leftover Turkey sandwiches
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