We’ve been spending the last week or so in the coziness that is Fairmont Jasper Lodge for the 25th anniversary of Christmas in November. There are a lot of Food Network Canada stars in our amidst during this grand event of eating, drinking, crafting and, of course, more drinking, so it’s hard to event-goers to decide where to spend their time when it comes to the culinary demos.

Lucky for us, we have been happy to host Chef Doreen Prei of the Edmonton Petroleum Club at the Alberta Pork cooking seminars. Aside from her bubbly personality, which the crowds has been loving, she also makes a kick ass cranberry sauce.  As Chef Prei mentioned through her demonstrations, feel free to tweak this recipe as you’d like, swapping out orange juice for apple juice, even red wine. Basically, get creative with the flavours that you love!

So, without further adieu…here’s the recipe…

What you’ll need…

3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1 1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 vanilla pod (split and seeds extracted)

1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat.

Reduce to medium heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, take off of heat and remove the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick.

The berries will break down on their own naturally, but for a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until it’s silky smooth.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly before storing in the refrigerator. Will keep for up to a week.

Yields 3 cups cranberry sauce

Total cook time…25 min