Forget that boring saccharine stuff, a sweet and savory cranberry sauce is what I really crave alongside all that turkey and stuffing. (Or to be more precise, usually a savory lingonberry sauce, when it happens to be simmering in my kitchen.) The flavor must still be fruity and approachable, but also compelling enough to demand some real attention until it's time for the homemade pie. This recipe is my absolute favorite. It features a full flavored combination of Port wine, balsamic vinegar, roasted shallots with thyme, and fresh marjoram. In other words, it's a sauce you won't soon forget.
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Ingredients for Savory Cranberry Sauce
- cranberries (or lingonberries)
- extra virgin olive oil
- shallots
- fresh thyme
- balsamic vinegar
- sugar
- Port wine (ruby or tawny)
- sugar
- light brown sugar
- dried currants
- fresh marjoram
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Savory Cranberry Sauce
Heat oven to 400℉. Place the shallots on a metal baking sheet and sprinkle with the thyme. Then drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss.
Roast in the oven until the shallots are becoming golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small heavy saucepan, combine the Port wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and light brown sugar.
Then bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add the cranberries (or lingonberries), as well as the dried currants.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until the berries pop and the sauce is thick and glossy.
Once the roasted shallots are cool, roughly chop them. Then mix the shallots and the finely chopped marjoram into the sauce. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the sauce to a bowl and allow it to cool briefly. Then cover and chill in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Hint: Savory cranberry sauce can be made well in advance. In fact, the flavor of this sauce improves with a little age. So not only is it something that you can make ahead of time, therefore freeing you up to attend to other pressing kitchen activities, it is something that you should prepare in advance in order to enjoy the very best flavor!
Variations
This savory cranberry sauce recipe is extremely versatile. Many of the ingredients can be tinkered with in a variety of different ways to satisfy your personal taste. By way of illustration, here are a few possibilities...
- The herbs: Don't have any fresh thyme or marjoram on hand? You can simply omit the herbs. Or perhaps you're partial to fresh rosemary instead of thyme? Feel free to substitute your favorite.
- The Port wine: A few other options for this boozy element include white wine, sweet vermouth, cognac, or orange liqueur...i.e. Grand Mariner. (If using either cognac or orange liqueur, you will want to reduce the proportion of alcohol to ¼ cup and then add about a cup of water as well.
- The balsamic vinegar: This adds a lovely tang, but it can certainly be left out if you aren't a fan.
- The dried currants: While the currants are not integral to the sauce, they add some additional intensity and texture. Other interesting options might include some grated crystallized ginger, chopped raisins, or diced fresh apple.
Storage
Savory cranberry sauce will keep in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container, for up to a month. (And here's a small confession...I've enjoyed it beyond this timeline on more than one occasion.)
Related
If you are making this savory cranberry sauce as part of a big holiday dinner spread, here are some other usual suspects in terms of recipes you may enjoy:
📖 Recipe
Savory Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries (or lingonberries) fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 medium shallots peeled and cut into roughly ¼ inch slices lengthwise through root end
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup Port wine ruby or tawny
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup dried currants
- 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram finely chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400℉.
- Place the sliced shallots on a metal baking sheet and sprinkle with the chopped thyme. Then drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast in the oven until the shallots are becoming golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a small heavy saucepan, combine the Port wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and light brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the cranberries (or lingonberries), as well as the dried currants. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until the berries pop and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- When the roasted shallots are cool, roughly chop them. Then mix the roasted shallots and the fresh marjoram into the sauce. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl and allow it to cool briefly. Then cover and chill in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature.
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