Wonderful as is but then I added a dash of allspice for a little extra flavor. Cardamom would work nicely too. And triple sec works just fine if you don't have Grand Marnier. A tip for storing fresh ginger which tends to spoil quickly: slice put in a baggie and freeze. Frozen ginger is easier to chop or mince. You can also freeze a whole "hand" (peeled or not) for grating but the consistency of the grated ginger will be a bit mushy.
I've made this before and it's great! This time I borrowed an idea from "Superb Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Pears " and I added a diced apple and diced pear (cored peel left on) and it was amazing added another complex layer of flavor. I made it the day before Thanksgiving but found out the day after it was even better. Next time I'm making this two days ahead.
For someone who grew up hating cranberry relish this recipe is sublime! I made it to go with the traditional turkey but also had plenty of leftovers--used some of it on a turkey sandwich (yum) and with a pork roast (yum again). I froze what was left and that left me with some more to enjoy at a later date! I pretty much used the recipe as is with the exception of a bit of lemon zest--the combination of lemon and orange brought out the flavors really well.
This was a huge hit. I didn't have fresh ginger so I subbed a couple shakes of powdered ginger instead. I also forgot to toast the pecans and just added them raw. Still turned out fabulous. My first time making cranberry sauce from scratch and it was a breeze.
I enjoyed making this relish but it was tarter than my family usually enjoys. Next time out I think I will decrease the orange juice some and possibly increase the sugar. I liked the fact that you could taste a hint of the Grand Marnier but it wasn't "boozy" at all. A nice compliment to the mixture. I am sure that once I get the tartness balanced to my family's satisfaction that this will be a regular guest at our holiday dinner table.
I substituted 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger for the fresh root and it was just enough for a little hint of ginger. I also used Triple Sec in lieu of the Grand Marnier omitted pecans (allergies) and increased the orange zest to 2-3 Tbsp.; its about what a small orange produced. Delicious everyone enjoyed it I will be making this again thanks!
This is my favorite now. I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with 2 pints.
To me this is the perfect cranberry relish. Quite a bit more costly than that canned glop as it should be. To my surprise although everyone liked it there were some people at my 18 people dinner who missed the old "traditional" canned stuff.
This went over so well on Thanksgiving I have decided to make it again for Christmas. The flavors are well combined. This makes the perfect cranberry relish.
