Relishing the Classics

Few cooks I know prepare Thanksgiving dinner completely alone. More than any other holiday meal, this is the one in which the cooking always seems to be shared. That is certainly the case for me. My husband, son and I spend the fourth Thursday of every November with a group of good friends, all of whom help with the cooking.

Each year, a couple of weeks before this fete, we decide on the menu by phone. One family will bring appetizers, others offer to bake desserts, while a few volunteer to assemble side dishes and accompaniments. The couple who hosts the event is always in charge of roasting the turkey. The best part of this arrangement is that everyone is relaxed when they sit down to the table. Since we are responsible for only one or two dishes, we do not feel overwhelmed.

After several conversations, this season’s bill of fare has been completed. For openers we’ll have cups of butternut squash soup topped with melted Gruyere cheese and chopped walnuts. To go with the herb-roasted turkey and pan gravy, there will be corn bread and leek dressing, peppered and scalloped onions, broccoli topped with frizzled prosciutto, mashed sweet potatoes with ginger and dried cranberry and apple relish. A platter of fall fruit, pound cake drizzled with warm caramel sauce and pumpkin pie, of course, will complete the dinner.

One of the dishes I will prepare is the dried cranberry-apple relish. Earlier in the fall I tasted this delicious garnish at a restaurant called Sienna in western Massachusetts. Chef Jonathan Marohn, when he saw my enthusiasm for the relish, was kind enough to share the recipe with me. Tart diced apples are browned lightly in sugar and then sauteed with chopped sweet red onion and sweet red pepper. Dried cranberries are added along with a splash of lemon juice and vinegar.

Although this relish is superb with all types of poultry, it is also excellent with pork or lamb. And the recipe can be doubled or tripled easily to suit the size of your group.

DRIED CRANBERRY AND APPLE RELISH

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 cups unpeeled tart apples (McIntosh or Cortland work well), cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped sweet red pepper

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Dash salt

3 tablespoons chopped green onions, green parts only

Place heavy, medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add butter. When melted, add sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.

Stir in apples and cook, stirring, until apples start to brown lightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and sweet red pepper and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add cranberries, lemon juice and vinegar. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

If not using immediately, remove from heat and cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. When ready to use, bring to room temperature or reheat until warm and stir in chopped green onions. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Note : Dried cranberries are available in specialty food stores, some health food shops and supermarkets. Recipe can be doubled or tripled.