Mead Cranberry Sauce
Mead is a honey wine that I have found out here in Colorado. In our book we use mead to poach pears and they come out nice. You may have to ask your local wine shop if they carry it but it is worth it. If you cannot find mead substitute a mild white wine laced with a 1/4 cup of honey.
Mead Cranberry Sauce
12 oz fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
3 cloves
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups Mead
1/2 cup sugar (I like mine a little sweet but with a nice tartness, feel free to adjust this to your taste)
1 1/2 cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
place all the ingredients except the cornstarch slurry in a saucepan and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to a moderate boil and let cook for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes most of the berries should have popped open. I mash the rest with the back of a spoon. Add the slurry a little at a time till it becomes nice and thick. (Be careful it will thicken more when it cools.) let this simmer for another 5 minutes.
The whole spices can now either be removed or left in. I like to leave them in so they can continue to work their magic. If you remove them you can puree the mixture to a smooth sauce.
Yes, this is more work than opening a can and chunking it down on a plate garnished with leaf lettuce but I think it tastes better. If you prefer the canned stuff. I will leave you with a quote from miss April. "Bless your heart"
~T
