Lou’s Famous Cranberry Sauce

Everyone had to contribute to the potluck by brining something to eat, drink, or use; people signed up on my etherpad page to let me know what they were bringing. Lou signed up to make his “famous cranberry sauce,” which was deliciously tart and tangy. He made this side dish on Wednesday night to give the wine and tangerine zest enough time to add a great depth of flavor to the cranberry sauce.

Ingredients (we doubled everything to feed 14 people but it definitely wasn’t necessary):

1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar
Zest of one tangerine (or orange)
1/2 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon

Add sugar to water in a saucepan and stir so the sugar dissolves:

Let the sugar and water come to a boil:

Once the sugar and water start boiling, add the cranberries:

Add the tangerine zest:

As the cranberries are cooking, add the Cabernet Sauvignon:

We wanted a slightly chunky cranberry sauce, so once the mixture starts foaming, you can turn off the fire:

Pour the cranberry sauce into a container and let it cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator:

The cranberry sauce will thicken in the fridge and is easy to make beforehand.

Cost Breakdown:

1 bag of fresh cranberries – $1.99
1 cup of water – free
1/2 cup of sugar – $0.50
Zest of one tangerine (or orange) – $1.00 (tangerines are expensive!!!)
1/2 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon – $0.50 (Trader Joe’s 2.99 wine is the best deal in town)

Total: $3.99