The recipe for this cranberry relish includes vanilla, a jalapeño pepper and a splash of bourbon. The result is a bit different than any other cranberry relish I have ever tried, while not different enough to raise a red flag. It has a subtle edge and a sweet tang with the vanilla adding a rich depth of flavor.
Thankful Reminders
Today I’ve spent most of my day in the kitchen. It’s a nice place to be. I have beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables gathered in baskets at the corner of my kitchen counter. There are squash and apples, oranges and pears. I also have Thanksgiving serving pieces gathered nearby including a hand painted turkey platter, my corn bowl and a special dish dedicated to cranberry sauce.
Then there is a pair of ceramic ladies in pristine aprons proclaiming Faith and Thankfulness with their hands folded in prayer. These salt and pepper shakers once belonged to Aunt Hen. They sat on a shelf in her dining room where we joined them for our evening meal every weekday as I was growing up. We also joined them in bowing our heads each evening as we thanked God for the blessings on and around our table. Now they stay with me to remind me of things I am thankful for: faith and roots and the blessing of a wonderful extended family that has loved and nurtured me.
I have spent my morning here in this good company. I am content to be here. The oven is warm. I like the sound of the water running in the sink, the fragrance of so many fruits and spices, the adventure of trying a few new things before I get down to preparing the traditional Thanksgiving dishes later this week.
A Touch of Something New
Since we expanded our cable subscription recently I have been watching the Food Network from the kitchen from time to time. It has been fun and inspiring to sample the programs there. A few days ago I saw Bobbie Flay on Iron Chef creating Thanksgiving dishes. He made a cranberry relish with bourbon, vanilla and jalapeno. Wow. Who would have thought? I just had to try it!
I looked on-line but couldn’t find a recipe for this particular relish. No problem. There were plenty of other recipes on-line for various cranberry relishes so I pulled out three or four with qualities similar to what I was thinking and combined them into one.
The result is a bit different than any other cranberry relish I have ever tried, while not different enough to raise a red flag. It has a subtle edge and a sweet tang with the vanilla adding depth. My tasters have given it good marks so I think I will serve this with our Thanksgiving feast, along with our traditional favorite; a can of jellied cranberry sauce still sporting can marks and nestled in the traditional cranberry dish. I do love adventure but I’m not ashamed to say that I fiercely cling to the essentials and remember what is tried and true.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bourbon Vanilla Cranberry Relish
Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes10
minutes20
minutesWith a subtle edge, a sweet tang and a hint of vanilla, this Cranberry Relish is a bit different without raising a red flag.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 vanilla bean
1 jalapeno, whole or finely chopped
Directions
- Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan. While stirring, bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until most of the cranberrries have burst.
- Remove from heat to cool. If you left the jalapeno pepper whole, remove it now and discard. Retrieve the vanilla bean from the sauce and set aside. When the vanilla bean is cool enough to handle comfortably, split it in half and scrape the seeds into the sauce. Stir until the vanilla seeds are distributed throughout the sauce. Discard the remaining hull.
- Serve sauce warm or cold.
I wonder how this smells with vanilla.
I love your cute salt and pepper shakers!
I share your love of the holiday kitchen. This was a lovely post, Lisa. Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to you! Sadly, I had to work so couldn’t spend the day cooking and baking in my favorite room of the house. Thanks, for a sweet post Lisa.
I am happy to know I am not the only one who fell over backwards when I saw the cranberry sauce he created. if you ever find it, please share it!
I am going to attempt this recipe tomorrow from no recipe whatsoever.
I know he used,
fresh cranberries
jalepeno
vanilla bean
cinnamon
maple syrup
ornage juice
and bourbon ofcourse
I wish I knew if he blended, cooked it in a pan or baked it? I thought I saw the jalepenos and cranberries in a blender at some point….
What a lovely post, Lisa. This is truly a time to appreciate all the blessings we have. I like the idea of adding bourbon to cranberry sauce. It sounds yummy but there is something very special about those can marks.
Woo woo this sounds nice and spicy, a nice change from the usual canned cranberry sauce, you know the one with the ridges when you dump it on the plate. I too am enjoying all the great recipes coming out this time of year.
yep, i’m pretty sure that the kitchen is my favorite place to be most of the time. 🙂
your relish looks delightful–happy thanksgiving to you and yours!