Category Archives: Sauces

Cider Maple Cranberry Sauce with Bitters

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh whole cranberries
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup cider
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Bourbon
  • 1/2 teaspoon bitters, such as Bittermen’s
  • 1 thyme sprig
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • pinch of fine sea salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 10 minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Cool completely and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken. Serve chilled.

Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

I love making my own cranberry sauce. It’s the perfect quick dish to give your personal flavor touch. I have made many combinations of sauce of the years but some I like to make again and again and this recipe is one that I am always being asked to make. What more to say than it’s not only got maple syrup, it’s got bourbon too! Need I say more?!!!

From by the bay, wishing you berry maple bourbon food memories!

Maryann

Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces  fresh whole cranberries
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 10 minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Cool completely and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken. Serve chilled.

Whiskey Special Sauce for Hamburgers

There is nothing like a summer hamburger cooked to perfection on an outdoor grill.  You may want to stop there but I strongly suggest that if you want to really amp up the flavor of your grilled burger, try making your own version of special sauce. Usually, special sauce is a combination of your favorite condiments – mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup. The base of my special sauce is the same but I like to chop up bread and butter pickles for a little sweetness  along with pickled jalapenos for some spice and heat to mix into my sauce so that every bite of my burger has a combination of many tastes. I could have stopped here but decided to take my sauce up one more level of flavor.  I added to my sauce one of the best ingredients I could think of – whiskey! Whiskey really makes that special sauce a “special, special sauce”.  The whiskey enhances the salty and sweet flavors.  As for topping the burger feel free to have a slice of melted american cheese. You can also try my new favorite, freshly grated parmesan cheese generously grated over the burger like a big cloud of freshly fallen snow! It’s burger time with your own special sauce!

From by the bay, wishing you whiskey special sauce food memories!

Maryann

 

Whiskey Special Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup good quality prepared mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon whiskey
  • 3 tablespoons chopped bread and butter pickles
  • 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeno

Directions

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients until well combined. Place in a covered glass container and refrigerate for at least one hour below using. The sauce keep refrigerated for up to one week.

Note: You can make the special sauce without the whiskey

Blackberry Barbecue Sauce

Memorial Day is right around the corner. How I look forward to many meals centered around grilling!  I love to make my own barbecue sauce mixing my favorite flavors, finding that right balance between sweet, savory and heat. This sauce is so simple to make combining many ingredients  you would have in your kitchen except maybe for the blackberry jam, which you will love to have anyway whether its for this recipe or your morning toast and the haberno chile. If you can’t find a haberno, jalapeno would work fine too. I love this sauce on spare ribs, pork chops and chicken. Let the season begin with this sauce!

From by the bay, wishing you sweet and savory blackberry food memories!

Maryann

Blackberry Barbecue Sauce
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons seedless blackberry preserves
  • 1 teaspoon minced habanero chile
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Directions
Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and mix well.  Simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce is slightly thicken. Use it immediately or place in a glass container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Spring Wild Ramp Pesto

 One of the first vegetable treats in early Spring is wild ramps! I grab a bunch as soon as I see it available and quickly make ramp pesto! the recipe is simple and much like the basil pesto you make during the summer with a few changes. No need to add garlic since ramps are a member of the Allium family tasting like a cross between garlic and onions. Once you have the pesto you have many ways to enjoy your wild ramps. Here are a few ideas:

  1. top your favorite pasta with pesto along with a little more grated parmesan cheese
  2. top a piece of grilled chicken, fish or beef with pesto
  3. top grilled bread with some fresh ricotta cheese and pesto
  4. add a spoonful of pesto to your salad vinaigrette
  5. add a spoonful to 1/2 a cup of good quality mayonnaise to use for sandwiches
  6. put a little pesto in an omelette
  7. add a spoonful to a favorite soup such as minestrone

Get creative and enjoy!

From by the bay wishing you wild ramp filled food memories!

Maryann

ramp

noun

  1. Allium tricoccum is a North American species of wild onion widely known as ramps and/or wild leeks. An early spring perennial, ramps have smooth light green leaves, that might have touches of burgundy or purple on the lower stem. They resemble scallion stalks and bulbs.

Ramps, like onions and garlic are an excellent source of vitamin A and C and some of their health benefits include healthy skin, teeth and bones, as well as promote healthy eyesight.

Spring Wild Ramp Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of ramps
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (toasted)
  • 1/2 cup, you kind of have to eyeball it)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

 

Boil salted water in a medium saute pan. Wash and cut off the bottom roots of the ramps. Blanche the ramp in boiling water until the leaves turn bright green, 10 to 20 seconds. Place in cold water to cool. Remove from water and pat dry. Add chopped walnuts, cheese, lemon juice, salt and 1/4 cup olive and process until well combined. Slowly pour remaining olive oil to combine. Place in a covered glass jar. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Serve at room temperature.

 

Countdown to Thanksgiving-Maple Bourbon Gravy

The perfect gravy for your turkey – especially if you decide to try the Maple Bourbon Roasted Turkey  recipe below:

Countdown to Thanksgiving – Maple Bourbon Roasted Turkey

From by the bay, wishing you delicious maple bourbon food memories!

Maryann

blog-maple-bourbon-gravy

Maple Bourbon Gravy

Gravy Base

6 cups chicken stock

Giblets and neck from turkey

1 carrot peeled and chopped

1 onion, not peeled and quartered

1 celery stick, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Gravy

1/4 cup bourbon

6 tablespoons flour

6 cups gravy base

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoons fine grey sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions for gravy base

Combine into a soup pot chicken stock, cider, carrot , onion, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, giblets and neck from turkey. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Cool and strain broth and keep refrigerated until ready to make gravy. This can be done one day in advance.

Directions for gravy

Place seasoned broth into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Take melted butter in a bowl and then add the flour, whisk until a smooth paste.  Take one cup of hot broth and whisk into flour mixture until smooth. Sieve back into the broth and whisk to blend. Add maple syrup, salt and pepper and whisk again. You can have this prepared as the turkey is roasting. Once the turkey is done and removed from the roasting pan and pour pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon off fat and discard. Add remaining juices into broth in the saucepan. Place roasting pan back on heat and deglaze with the bourbon. Scrap pan to get all brown bits, let reduce to half , about 2 minutes. Add to the gravy. Whisk together and let simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency. Remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.

Basic Turkey Gravy

Here is your go to recipe for gravy. I love it because you can make most of it in advance, the key to a well planned Thanksgiving, doing as much of the preparation as you can in advance.

From by the bay wishing you easy gravy food memories!

Maryann

blog turk gravy

Basic Turkey Gravy

Gravy Base

6 cups chicken stock

Giblets and neck from turkey

1 bouquet garni

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 carrot, chopped

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Gravy

6 tablespoons flour

6 cups gravy base

4 tablespoons butter

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoons fine grey sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup chop parsley

Optional : Giblets – chop giblets braised in the gravy base and add to gravy

Directions for gravy base

Combine into a soup pot chicken stock, bouquet garni, onion, celery, peppercorns, giblets and neck from turkey. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Cool and strain broth and keep refrigerated until ready to make gravy. This can be done one day in advance.If you like giblets in your gravy , save and refrigerator.

Directions for gravy

Place seasoned broth into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Melt butter in a bowl and then add flour , whisk until it is a smooth paste. Take one cup of hot broth and whisk into flour mixture until smooth. Pour this back into the broth and whisk to blend. Add bay leaves, honey, salt and pepper and whisk again. You can have this prepared as the turkey is roasting. Once the turkey is done and removed from the roasting pan pour pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon off fat and discard. Add remaining juices into broth in the saucepan. Place roasting pan back on heat and deglaze with the 1/2 cup of seasoned stock. Scrap pan to get all brown bits, let reduce to half , about 2 minutes. Add to the gravy. Whisk together and let simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency. Remove bay leaves, mix in parsley adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey. 

 Optional : Giblets – chop giblets braised in the gravy base and add to gravy

Apple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

Making cranberry sauce couldn’t be easier….this version combines some of my favorite flavors- of course cranberries, sweeten with juicy apples , apple cider and finished off with a little bourbon! You’ll love this recipe and it’s great to use through out the holiday season!!

From by the bay wishing you, red cranberry food memories

Maryann

blog cranberry14

Apple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup apple cider

1 cup fine sugar

1 12oz, package whole fresh cranberries

3/4 cup apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

¼ cup bourbon

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Combine apple cider, bourbon and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, apples and cinnamon. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer approximately 10 minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Remove from heat. Cool completely and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken. Serve chilled.

Sage Gravy

There is nothing like homemade gravy for your Thanksgiving Turkey and you’ll love this sage gravy. You can make most of this gravy in advance by making a flavorful stock as your base and then flavoring the gravy with the turkey drippings at the end. This gravy is perfect used with my  Apple Sage Roast Turkey.

Apple Sage Roasted Turkey

From by the bay wishing you turkey gravy food memories!

Maryann

blog sage gravy

Sage Gravy

Gravy Base

6 cups chicken stock

Giblets and neck from turkey

1 carrot peeled and chopped

1 onion, not peeled and quartered

1 celery stick, chopped

2 bay leaves

6 sage leaves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Gravy

1 cup white wine

6 tablespoons flour

6 cups gravy base

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoons fine grey sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped sage

Directions for gravy base

Combine into a soup pot chicken stock, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaves, sage, peppercorns, giblets and neck from turkey. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Cool and strain broth and keep refrigerated until ready to make gravy. This can be done one day in advance.

Directions for gravy

Place seasoned broth into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Take melted butter in a bowl and then add the flour, whisk until a smooth paste. Take one cup of hot broth and whisk into flour mixture until smooth. Sieve back into the broth and whisk to blend. Add bay leaves, salt and pepper and whisk again. You can have this prepared as the turkey is roasting. Once the turkey is done and removed from the roasting pan pour pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon off fat and discard. Add remaining juices into broth in the saucepan. Place roasting pan back on heat and deglaze with the wine. Scrap pan to get all brown bits, let reduce to half , about 2 minutes. Add to the gravy. Whisk together and let simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency. Remove bay leaves, mix in sage adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.

Apple Cider Gravy

The perfect compliment to Apple Cider Brined and Maple Roasted Turkey is this delicious apple cider gravy. You can prepare much of the gravy in advance and last minute deglaze your turkey roasting pan using apple cider to sweep all the yummy pan juices into your gravy. You’ll love all the warmth flavors in the gravy and aroma as you prepare this gravy is unsurpassed!


From by the bay wishing you warm apple cider food memories!

Maryann


Find the apple cider brined and maple roasted turkey recipe here:
https://blog.entertainingbythebay.com/2012/11/01/cider-brined-and-maple-roasted-turkey.aspx



blog turkey gravy 2012


Apple Cider Gravy

Gravy Base

6 cups chicken stock

Giblets and neck from turkey

1 carrot peeled and chopped

1 onion, not peeled and quartered

1 celery stick, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon allspice berries

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Gravy

1 1/3 cup cider

6 tablespoons flour

6 cups gravy base

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoons fine grey sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions for gravy base

Combine into a soup pot chicken stock, cider, carrot , onion, celery, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, peppercorns, giblets and neck from turkey. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Cool and strain broth and keep refrigerated until ready to make gravy. This can be done one day in advance.

Directions for gravy

Place seasoned broth into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Take melted butter in a bowl and then add the flour, whisk until a smooth paste. Take one cup of hot broth and whisk into flour mixture until smooth. Sieve back into the broth and whisk to blend. Add bay leaves, honey, salt and pepper and whisk again. You can have this prepared as the turkey is roasting. Once the turkey is done and removed from the roasting pan pour pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon off fat and discard. Add remaining juices into broth in the saucepan. Place roasting pan back on heat and deglaze with the cider. Scrap pan to get all brown bits, let reduce to half , about 2 minutes. Add to the gravy. Whisk together and let simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency. Remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.