Pinot Noir, Cranberry And Roasted Orange Sauce

This is our alternative to traditional cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. Orange and cranberry are a match made in culinary heaven and roasting the orange slices adds a caramel flavor that mellows the sauce. We like to sweeten this sauce with honey to temper the tartness of the cranberries. Cara Cara oranges are our favorite because they are delightfully sweet and aromatic. If you can’t get Cara Cara oranges, a
navel orange will do just fine. A small bit of cayenne pepper adds the slightest bit of heat and dimension to this sauce, but if you don’t like it
you can omit it.

Cranberries naturally have a lot of pectin, which makes for a lovely thick sauce. We prefer ours chunky but you can certainly purée the finished sauce while it is still hot and then strain through a fine mesh sieve so that the resulting, cooled sauce will actually be a slice able jelly.

MAKES: 2 cups (480 ml)

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cara oranges or 1 large navel orange, peeled and most of the white pith removed
• Cooking spray, as needed
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (270 ml) honey or more to taste, divided
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 10 oz (280 g) fresh or frozen whole cranberries
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• ½ cup (120 ml) pinot noir
• 1 tsp (6 g) salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp (12 g) orange zest

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Slice the peeled oranges crossways into ¼-inch (6-mm) rounds.
3. Spray a lined baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the oranges on it, leaving a little space around each round.
4. Brush the oranges lightly with some of the honey and sprinkle each one lightly with the cinnamon.
5. Bake the orange slices for 30 to 40 minutes or until they are puffy and bubbly, just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
6. When the orange slices are cool, place in a food processor with the cranberries and pulse into a coarse paste.
7. Scrape this mixture into a medium saucepan with 1 cup (240 ml) of water and the pinot noir.
8. Place the pan over medium heat and add the remaining honey, salt, and cayenne pepper.
9. Simmer this mixture, stirring often, until it is thickened and syrupy, about 30 to 40 minutes.
10. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest.
11. Pour the finished sauce into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
12. The sauce may be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
13. Serve with roasted turkey or chicken.