Spice up your Thanksgiving meal with Gourmet magazine's unique take on traditional Thanksgiving flavors. Try some cranberry, apple and walnut conserve, pumpkin mustard relish or spiced shallots and prunes.
Cranberry, Apple, And Walnut Conserve
Make: About 12 cups
Active Time: 15 minutes
Start to Finish: 25 Minutes
Adding the cranberries in three stages, along with crumbled nuts, results in a wonderful conserve with layers of texture and flavor. The turbinado sugar imparts subtle caramel undertones.
1½ cups water
3 cups turbinado sugar such as Sugar in the Raw
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
3 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries (2¼ lbs; about 11 cups)
3 Gala or Pink Lady apples
2 cups walnuts (6 ounces), toasted, cooled, and broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons Calvados or brandy. Simmer water, sugar, cinnamon stick, allspice, and half of cranberries (about 5½ cups) in a 4-to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes. Add half of remaining cranberries (about 3 cups) and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and core apples, then cut into ¼-inch dice. Add to cranberry mixture along with walnuts and remaining cranberries, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Calvados and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool to warm or room temperature. Discard cinnamon stick. Cook's Note: Conserve can be made 1 week ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature or warm if desired.
Pumpkin Mustard Relish
Makes: About 4 cups
Active time: 25 minutes
Start to finish: 1 day
2 lbs. pumpkin or butternut squash, halved lengthwise, peeled, seeded, and cut into
½-inch cubes
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup dry white wine
½ golden raisins
2 tablespoons dry mustard (such as Coleman's) Toss pumpkin with sugar and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Chill, covered, 8 hours. (Sugar will liquefy.) Simmer pumpkin mixture, water, and wine in a wide, 6-quart heavy pot until pumpkin is just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer pumpkin with a slotted spoon to a bowl and stir in raisins, then boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer syrup to a measuring cup, then slowly whisk into mustard in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Cool, then chill, covered, at least 8 hours for flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature. Cook's Note: Relish can be chilled up to 2 weeks.
Spiced Shallots and Prunes
Makes: About 3 cups
Active time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 9 hours
1¼ lb. small shallots (about 24)
½ lb. pitted prunes (1 ½ cups)
½ ruby Port
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon allspice Blanch shallots (not peeled) in boiling water, about 2 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool. Peel shallots, then combine with remaining ingredients in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Chill, covered, at least 8 hours for flavors to meld. Discard whole spices. Serve at room temperature. Cook's Note: Relish can be chilled up to 1 week.
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