Our Christmas dinner is more like a Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps, it’s because as a family, we’re typically not together over the Thanksgiving holiday. With my family scattered in four states, it’s hard to see each other more than once, maybe twice a year.
The dinner is has traditionally been my undertaking. I take enormous pride in serving a good meal, though as my husband reminds me, I am pretty hard on myself in terms of rating what is a good meal.
After years of doing the Christmas dinner, I’ve finally come up with the ideal meal through lots of trial and error. One of my traditions is the cranberry sauce.
Always begin with fresh cranberries. Nothing beats the taste of fresh. I like to use a whole bag for our crew of 10-plus guests. Simmer the cranberries in a large saucepan until they start to pop. Word of advice: do not wear a light-colored shirt when doing this.
Next, add one-half to one cup of sugar, depending on how tart you’d like it. With the sugar, a pinch of salt, about one tablespoon of grated orange peel, and one cup of ruby port. That’s it, but let me explain.
I’ve gone back and forth with using orange juice instead, but the flavor is just too strong. The grated peel gives a subtle flavor and adds visual interest. Then, there’s the port.
Port comes in two varieties: tawny and ruby. While the tawny port is a great sipping drink, use the ruby here. Port, of itself, is not horribly expensive. Since it’s Christmas, I’ll pop for a nicer bottle. Warre, Cockburn, and Dow all make very nice ports. Definitely, opt for the non-vintage.
Then, after the meal, everyone can relax with a sip of port. It’s a very drinkable dessert wine, even for those who don’t drink wine too often. So, it’s a nice little treat for your effort.
Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe
1 bag of fresh cranberries
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 cup of ruby port
