I love homemade cranberry sauce. I find the stuff that comes out of a jar too sweet, more like jam than anything else. And it’s served cold. In my opinion a cranberry sauce needs to be slightly tart, with a hint of orange and warming spices, and served warm – definitely served warm.

This recipe is so easy to make that you can do it whilst the turkey is in, as I did last year. It only takes a few minutes and will add to the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. However, it is also great to make ahead. You could freeze it if you make it well ahead, but it will keep well in the fridge for up to a week.

If you have any left after the big day then it’s great on sandwiches. I particularly like it between granary bread with left over stuffing, maybe a little turkey and a few baby spinach leaves.

If you want quite a chunky sauce then wait for the first few cranberries to pop, which will take 5-10 minutes then take the sauce off the heat. If you want it less chunky then cook it for a further 5-10 minutes before removing it from the heat. Be aware that the sauce will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it looks a little thin while it’s cooking. If it’s looking too thick you could let it down with a little more clementine juice or port.

If you’re looking for more delicious recipe ideas for the holiday season, check out my Christmas and New Year page.