So I had volunteered to make the cranberry relish for a traditional turkey dinner, and I made it the day before so that I had one less thing to do on the day we had a two hour drive. I decided to just make a few riffs on the package instructions, adding cinnamon bark to the cook, cutting sugar in half, and added fresh grated ginger. I had also bought an orange but because I liked it best raw, I reserved it and the separately the juice for adding after cooking the berries.
At the last minute I decided I wanted to do a play on the mental image of the canned cranberry sauce of my childhood--both ends of the can removed, and the jelly pushed out to wobble on a plate. So I reserved the orange juice for that step, and got out my half-moon shaped mold. In the end I had this long narrow half-tube shape on a long rectangular white plate. Couldn't have looked more glamorous, and the texture was superb. Everyone said it was the best they'd ever had, and Bob and I both agreed. The texture wasn't jello, just very thick and without a runny juice. I've never made cranberry sauce the same way twice, but this will be the only say I'll make cranberry sauce in the future, and I want to preserve the recipe. So, here:
1 bag cranberries
1 large orange, zested and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 envelope gelatine
Rinse berries and put in a saucepan with water, sugar, cinnamon stick and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer until the berries pop.
Zest the orange, then cut in half and remove juice to a bowl or wide mouthed container, like a measuring cup. Sprinkle the gelatine onto the orange juice, whisk in vigorously with a fork.
When the berries are done, pour through a strainer to separate the hot cranberry liquid. Remove cinnamon stick. Pour the hot liquid onto the orange juice and blend well, then add back to the cranberries with the orange zest. Pour into a cling-film lined mold and refrigerate overnight to set.