Pear, brandy and walnut cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- 40g walnuts
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 black peppercorns
- 50ml water
- 100ml brandy
- 500ml (2 cups) frozen cranberries, defrosted in the fridge overnight
- 145g light brown sugar
- 2 pears, peeled
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a baking tray with foil. Sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the foil and roast in the oven, about 6 minutes. Allow to cool then chop roughly. Set aside.
Place the cinnamon sticks and black peppercorns in a cheesecloth and tightly seal with a piece of string. Using your hands, gently break the cinnamon sticks.
Pour the water and half of the brandy into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cranberries, sugar and the cinnamon-pepper bundle, and gently mix to combine.
Grate the peeled pears into the saucepan. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst open, about 20 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and remove the cinnamon-pepper bundle. Add the remaining brandy and stir well. Stir in the toasted walnuts. Serve immediately or allow to cool and place in a sterilised jar (the sauce will keep for 1 – 2 months).
Cook’s tips: If you do not have cheesecloth, a coffee filter or empty teabags can be used. If the cinnamon sticks are too hard to break by hand, a meat pounder can be used instead. More brandy can be added if desired and additional walnuts can be sprinkled over the top of the sauce for extra crunch.
