In recent years, we’ve asked MSU corporate chef Kurt Kwiatkowski to whip up a new idea for your Thanksgiving table. Our premise is that it’s Thanksgiving morning, you have out all the stuff you’ve purchased for the meal, and you decide you want to do something different with it. Being a busy morning, and maybe your favorite grocery store isn’t open, you’re limited to what you have on hand.In the past, Kwiatkowski has come up with oven roasted sweet potatoes, a cranberry vinaigrette and a cranberry-orange chutney for us.
He tells Current State's Scott Pohl that it’s cranberries again this year, in the form of a delicious glaze for your turkey.
Cranberry Glaze
2 Tablespoons canola oil
¾ cup sliced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup honey
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup cranberry juice
Zest and juice from ½ orange
2 Tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
In a saucepan, over medium heat, warm the oil. Add onions to the pan and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add cranberries, honey, mirin, and vinegar. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the cranberries start to pop.
Add soy sauce, cranberry juice, and orange zest and juice; continue to simmer until reduced by 30 percent to make a nice glaze. Test the reduction by dipping the back of a spoon into the glaze. Shake the spoon a little; if the glaze coats the spoon and sticks, the glaze is properly reduced.
Taste sauce for flavor and adjust if needed. Transfer sauce to a blender and blend until almost smooth. Return to saucepan over medium heat.
When warm, remove from heat and stir in butter.
