With just the simple addition of a bit of jalapeño pepper and a splash of Grand Marnier, this familiar Thanksgiving cranberry relish recipe becomes a sassy salsa. Trust me, your turkey will be tapping its drumsticks with delight.–Patrick O’Connell
LC So Much For Semantics Note:
Relish? Salsa? What matters to us isn’t so much the semantics of the recipe but the ridiculous ease with which it comes together. Seriously. We’re talking less than five-minutes of effort for a stunning little side that elicits a chorus of oohs and aahs at the table. Takes a little pressure off the turkey, doesn’t it?
Raw Cranberry Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 small thin-skinned navel orange, washed, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 to 1 small jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (or other orange-flavored liqueur)
Directions
- 1. If using fresh cranberries, spread them on a large plate or rimmed baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour.
- 2. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or a blender, pulse the frozen cranberries, the orange, and, if desired, the jalapeño until evenly chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the sugar and Grand Marnier, and stir to combine.
- 3. Cover and refrigerate the relish for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld. (You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days.) Taste and adjust the amount of sugar and Grand Marnier accordingly. Serve cold.
Hungry for more? Chow down on these:
- Cranberry Pineapple Salsa from The Rogue Gourmet
- Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce from The Pioneer Woman
- Pomegranate Walnut Relish from Leite's Culinaria
- Cranberry Citrus Compote from Leite's Culinaria
Raw Cranberry Relish Recipe © 2004 Patrick O'Connell. Photo © 2004 Helene Dujardin. All rights reserved.
This so looks like the recipe I grew up with, except for two items: who know from jalapeño peppers? And we added coarsely chopped walnuts. I wonder how it would be with both, jalapeños and walnuts. Maybe one, but not the other? Let’s not guild the lily!
Phil, I think it’s a matter of taste, but I think both would work together. But, personally, I’m not a nut guy–especially in cookies. I was just teaching aboard a Holland America ship, and one of my students asked if walnuts could be added to my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I nearly fainted.
Mom made a version of this often in the sixties. No chiles and no booze. When Thanksgiving was over we ate the rest of the relish on vanilla ice cream. In my memory, it was really good. Have to try it again.
Oh, and I prefer my chocolate chip nut cookies without the chocolate chips!
Love the notion of cranberry relish on ice cream…
This is close to the original Ocean Spray recipe. They call for a naval orange cut in 1/8s and thrown into a food processor with suger (granulated or brown) cranberries, and orange juice. I cut the juice in half and use the Grande Marnier (shoot, thought that was my idea). Now nuts and jalapeño. Hmmmm. Think I’ll some more Gran Marnier and cogitate a bit.
Ken, while you’re cogitating, whip up a batch–and don’t stint on the peppers! You’ll find the kick a nice change from traditional relishes.