Thanksgiving Recipes: Cranberry-Orange Relish

With so many delicious dishes on a typical Thanksgiving dinner table, it can be difficult to choose a favorite. Not for me. My homemade cranberry orange relish is the perennial MVP. And that’s not just because it’s tangy, sweet, and criminally addictive. It’s also the perfect accoutrement to everything else on the plate–not to mention the essential spread for countless leftover turkey sandwiches; the backbone of your holiday weekend diet. In fact, everyone who tries this cranberry-orange concoction relishes it, so make your friends and family happy with this simple-yet-fantastic recipe compliments of Chef Louisa Shafia (tweaked ever-so-slightly by your humble narrator):

Makes about 4 cups

2 cups raw, organic cranberries

3 whole organic navel oranges, quartered, cored, and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup sugar, tablespoon of brown sugar

A pinch of salt

A drop of fresh, organic orange juice

Combine ingredients into a food processor and pulse them until they are all well-mixed, but still coarse. The texture should ultimately retain some chunkiness.

Adjust the seasoning with brown sugar, salt and even a touch of cinnamon, if desired. For the best flavor, refrigerator overnight and dish it out on Thanksgiving Day with a few orange slices or a small shredding of zest as a garnish. You can also top it off with some crushed walnuts or pecans to give it a little added crunch. The relish will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Happy Turkey Time, America!