Tags
Cranberries, honey, Mango, mango juice, orange marmalade, orange zest, pineapple, pineapple juice, Spices
I was going to call this Tropical Cranberry Sauce, but that’s way too vague. And I want you to try this. It uses some of the most wonderful flavors of the Tropics, but still retains a familiarity to the more traditional version. I like my cranberry sauce to be a nice combination of sweet and sour, leaning a bit more to the sour. I hate when people over sweeten things that are inherently sour, like cranberries and rhubarb. And you know how The Goddess has this ongoing love affair with anything orange. Therefore, she thinks cranberry sauce without orange, is pretty much a waste of time. And, fortunately orange is more or less traditionally a part of cranberry sauce, it seemed like a good starting point to add more tropical flavors. After all, it doesn’t get too much more tropical than orange, does it? 
So, we have orange zest, and both pineapple and mango tidbits. To sweeten, I used orange marmalade. For the liquid part, I used both unsweetened pineapple and mango juices. 
You’re going to put everything but the mango, spices and salt into the pan. See, isn’t that easy?
You’ll want a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, as this mixture can stick and burn easily. A medium to medium-low flame is about right to allow the mixture to simmer properly. And remember to stir this now and again. This sauce goes together quickly; it cooks in under 15 minutes. I think it took me longer to dice the fruit than it did to cook the sauce. I didn’t thicken this, as the cranberries, along with the orange marmalade tend to thicken up as the mixture cools. The only spice I added was just a pinch of Vietnamese cinnamon and ground allspice; but just a pinch of each. And, I always like to add a little pinch of kosher salt to sweet or sweetened things.
I tasted the sauce at the end of the cooking and found it to be just slightly too sour, even for me. I added an additional tablespoon of orange marmalade and a tablespoon of honey. Perfect!
Mango, Pineapple and Orange Cranberry Sauce
- 1 bag of whole fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
- Zest of 1/2 an orange, cut into fine julienne strips
- 1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2/3 cup unsweetened mango juice (or orange juice)
- 1/3 cup orange marmalade (you may need more for extra sweetness)
- 1/2 cup diced fresh mango
- 1-2 tablespoons honey (optional-for additional sweetness)
- Large pinch Vietnamese cinnamon
- Large pinch ground allspice
- Small pinch kosher salt
Place the diced pineapple, the orange zest, the juices, marmalade and the cranberries in a heavy-bottomed, deep saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, until the cranberries begin to pop, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the diced mango; continue to cook for 1 minute. Taste and if the mixture isn’t sweet enough add additional orange marmalade and/or the honey. Taste again. When you’re happy with the flavor, add the spices and the salt. Stir. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight, if possible, to allow the flavors to meld and mingle. Serve chilled or slightly colder than room temperature. This sauce is best made at least 24 hours ahead and can be kept in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.
NOTE: Keep the orange zest, but use apricot preserves instead of the orange marmalade. Use diced peeled apples and pears instead of the mango and pineapple. For the juice, use 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and fill the cup with unsweetened apple juice. A star anise would be a nice addition.
Mango, Pineapple and Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2016. All rights reserved.
Don’t be put off by these tropical flavors. They work very well. And, if you make turkey sandwiches with curry mayonnaise, this is a wonderful schmear to add just that right balance you’ll need to make the perfect day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich.
Goddess Cooks 