Name: Dried Cranberry Mostarda
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups dried cranberries; 1 cup water; 1 cup white wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons mustard seeds; 1 cinnamon stick; ½ cup sugar; ⅛ teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Why This Recipe Works

To make this festive, pantry-friendly topping, we started by simmering dried cranberries with water, white wine vinegar, mustard seeds, and a cinnamon stick to reconstitute the fruit and create a flavor base for the chutney. Then we added some sugar and a pinch of salt. The sugar introduced just the right amount of sweetness, while the salt brought out the cranberry flavor and heightened the taste of the chutney overall. Once the chutney thickened, we stirred in orange zest (a familiar companion to cranberries) off the heat to introduce a citrusy note. Use this mostarda for your cheese and charcuterie platter or as an accompaniment to your Thanksgiving meal.

Before You Begin

The mostarda will thicken as it cools. Spread it on sandwiches (such as our Monte Cristo Sandwiches) or serve it on a cheese board or alongside roasted poultry or pork.

Instructions

Combine cranberries, water, vinegar, mustard seeds, and cinnamon stick in medium saucepan and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid has reduced to about 1 cup, 12 to 15 minutes.

Stir in sugar and salt and continue to simmer, stirring often, until sugar has dissolved and mixture has thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Off heat, discard cinnamon stick and stir in orange zest. Let cool completely before serving. (Mostarda can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.)