The secret of a successful cranberry sauce!

It's interesting, but I have often heard of people not caring too much about the cranberry sauce preparation, which is often overlooked as a complement that can add a touch of excellence to the Thanksgiving meal.

I find, however, that it is a special and versatile element, as it can be combined with many types of spices to achieve that punch for the turkey meat.

Contrary to what is perceived, cranberry is not sweet. It is more tart. For this reason, its combination with other elements, such as sugar, currants, orange, pineapple, or chili powder, can completely change the flavor notes, making it sweeter, spicier, and sweeter and sweet-sour, depending on what you want to achieve.

The turkey that is usually prepared for Thanksgiving tends to be a little milder in flavor than the traditional Christmas turkey, at least from my Latin American roots. This makes the cranberry sauce an ally to give it the final touch at dinner time.

Below is a basic recipe for cranberry sauce. Once you have the base, you can try adding different flavors. Each spice can give you a very specific and particular note, so be careful not to get excited about adding them all at once. I recommend starting with orange zest and juice, which will add a note of acidity and balance to the cranberry flavor.

If you like balanced spiciness, I recommend adding chili powder or chili flakes as well. This will add a spicy touch without changing the sauce's flavor as it would if you used jalapeño or a stronger type of chili.

A basic recipe for cranberry sauce:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup water

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup of orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

Procedure:

• Wash the cranberries thoroughly if bought fresh.

• Boil the water with the sugar, stirring constantly.

• Add the cranberries and let simmer.

• Try!

• Add a bit of the orange juice and the orange zest.

• Keep trying until getting the flavor you want! (same if you add other spices or chili powder).

• Enjoy!

What's your favourite spice to give the cranberry sauce that desired punch?