By AE Strega, Supplements Buyer & Compote Enthusiast
I love making compotes. There's just something about the alchemy of fruit, sugar, and a little bit of acid pukka-pukka-ing away in a saucepan, filling the house with warmth and spice, that gives me such cozy vibes. (And, yes, let's be real: stirring a bubbling pot of something in my dimly-lit kitchen with my cat curling around my ankles makes me feel like a witch.)
This twist on a traditional cranberry sauce is accessible enough to stand alongside your holiday table fare, but due to its spice profile is unusual enough to be a table-side staple throughout the whole fall and winter season. It's delicious slathered on crackers (maybe with a bit of cheese!), smeared into a sandwich with leftovers, as the filling for thumbprint cookies, or on top of vanilla ice cream. Bonus: it freezes well, so I like to make a double batch and keep some on hand for last-minute party invites.
Full disclosure: I never measure anything when I'm cooking, so all quantities are approximate. Feel free to taste the sauce as you go along and tweak the flavorings according to your own preferences.
Ingredients:
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/4 cup dried rosehips
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves (ground or just crumbled between your fingers)
1 cassia cinnamon stick
Juice and zest of one medium orange
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
Add all ingredients to a medium pot (I use a cast-iron Dutch Oven) and stir to combine. Over medium heat, cook until the cranberries begin to soften (they will release some steam and liquid while doing this as well as make a popping noise, so be warned!).
The cranberries will lose their shape the longer they cook, so if you prefer a chunkier sauce, cook for about 15 minutes. (I prefer my sauce to have a smoother texture, so I let mine go for about 20-25 minutes, mashing up the cranberries with the flat side of a silicone spatula as I go.) The whole process usually takes about a half hour from start to finish.
Remove the cinnamon stick and let the sauce cool. It will thicken the longer it sits in the pot. Take a deep breath: your house now smells amazing, and you have a lovely spiced cranberry sauce to eat!