TT Tip: Clementines add a subtle citrus note to this mellow, savory take on cranberry sauce. Substitute 1 small navel orange if you cannot find clementines.

Clementine-Cranberry Sauce with Pickled Mustard Seeds

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

Yield: 2¼ cups (plus about ¾ cup leftover pickled mustard seeds)

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes (plus 30 minutes to cool the mustard seeds and overnight chilling to pickle them)

Ingredients

Pickled Mustard Seeds

1¼ cups white wine vinegar

¾ cup water

2 tablespoons kosher salt

½ cup yellow mustard seeds

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

Cranberry Sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 clementines

1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 dried bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions

1. Make the pickled mustard seeds: In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil. Add the mustard seeds, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the mustard seeds are tender, 35 to 40 minutes (add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water if, at this point, the pan looks dry). Add the thyme and garlic and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer. Cool 30 minutes and then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight (or up to 1 week).

2. Make the cranberry sauce: In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add the water and sugar and cook, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Set the sugar-water mixture aside. Use a vegetable peeler to peel three 1-inch wide by 2-inch long strips of zest from the clementines. Set the citrus strips aside and peel the fruit, segment it and then slice it crosswise into small pieces (remove any seeds you come across). Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the oil and shallot and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the citrus strips, ¼ cup of the pickled mustard seeds, coriander, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, and then add the reserved sugar-water mixture. Bring the liquid to a simmer and then add the cranberries. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and only a few cranberries remain intact, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped clementines. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the cranberry sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate. Let sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

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