Cranberry sauce is, for me, both the perfume and the heart of the Thanksgiving meal. It provides an exquisite top note to all the earthy, deep, savory flavor, and acts as an unguent to any sharp edges. In the sweet and bright spoonfuls of cranberry sauce, all is made well. And yes, I would, gladly, eat it by the spoonful. Especially since it takes less than 15 minutes to make.
This year’s magic is spiced with a bouquet of airy fennel, star anise, and clove, and mellowed by orange zest. Because each of these flavors is quite strong on its own, I used delicate amounts of them individually. Their heady melange makes this cranberry sauce feel like a party.
This sauce commingles perfectly with the other items on our K&C vegetarian Thanksgiving feast menu: Insanely delish with the herb crusted tofu and shiitake mushroom gravy, rosemary chèvre mashed potatoes, brown butter citrus sweet potatoes, and balsamic brussels sprouts with pomegranate, feta, and mint.
Translation: Every which way you go, there’s a heavenly bite on your plate. Don’t forget the shaved kale salad and vegan gingersnap chocolate cream pie!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s EPIC full Thanksgiving spread, plus tips on timing and scheduling for Thanksgiving day.
A KALE & CARAMEL THANKSGIVING: FENNEL SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce bag cranberries
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons + orange zest from about 2 oranges
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cloves whole
- 2 star anise pods
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
Instructions
- Combine cloves, star anise, and fennel seeds in a small bowl and transfer to a reusable or disposable tea bag or cheesecloth bundle. Knot or tie the tea bag or bundle—this will allow the spices to steep into the sauce and ensure easy removal once it’s done on the stove. Reusable or disposable tea bags can be found at most health food stores, and cheesecloth at most grocery and kitchen supply stores.
- Wash and drain the cranberries, and place in a nonreactive saucepan. Add water, sugar, orange zest, and sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so that mix simmers gently. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst. I like to leave a few whole berries remaining. When the sauce has thickened and everything smells amazing, remove from heat and let cool a bit. Remove the tea bag or cheesecloth bundle and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Discard spices.
- Let cool, and serve. Will keep in fridge up to a week.
