Recipe

Cranberry Sauce with Figs, Candied Citrus and Mexican Chocolate

Photo by ChezSuzanne

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Cranberry Sauce
Chef
ChezSuzanne's Notes: I made a bunch of candied orange peel and lemon peel over the weekend for holiday and hostess gifts and was inspired by the cranberry sauce challenge to marry them all together in some way...
I made a bunch of candied orange peel and lemon peel over the weekend for holiday and hostess gifts and was inspired by the cranberry sauce challenge to marry them all together in some way. I added figs macerated in port wine and finished it off with chopped Mexican chocolate which felt like a good compliment to round out the flavors of the dish and makes it feel very festive. Note: my candied orange peels were rolled in sugar; my candied lemon peels were not and don't dice them too small. As you eat the sauce, you get the tart of the cranberries, with a burst of sweet citrus with the candied peel, and the hint of Mexican chocolate and spice in a single bite.

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2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chili powder Ask a question about this ingredient

Macerate the quartered figs in the port wine for at least 2 hours, occasionally tossing them in the port.
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Bring the sugars and juices to a gentle boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and add the cranberries, the candied peels, and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine in the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Reduce the heat to low and fold in the figs and the port the figs were soaking in and the Mexican chocolate. Heat for another 2 minutes to ensure the chocolate is melted and completely incorporated into the cranberry mixture. Continue to gently stir with a wooden spoon in a 'folding' motion to ensure the chocolate doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. At the end, add the ancho.
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Serve and garnish with orange zest.
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