Pair sultanas with cranberries for a new take on holiday standard

This seasonal sauce pairs well with seared duck breasts, game meats, roast lamb and, of course, turkey.

A little butter at the finish adds a lot of flavor and provides enough fat to balance the tang of the fruit.

If you like the taste of cranberry on the sweeter side rather than tart, add sugar as needed. As an alternative, you could replace the chicken broth with additional apple juice.

The sauce can be made aheaD, cooled, covered and refrigerated up to three days. Reheat in a medium saucepan over low heat.

CRANBERRY AND GOLDEN RAISIN SAUCE
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Yield: 4-4 1/2 cups

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into small dice (1 cup)
1 cup golden raisins
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and stemmed
1 cup packed light brown sugar, or more to taste
1 (3- to 4-inch) vanilla bean
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more as needed
1 cup apple juice
1 cup low-sodium or homemade chicken broth (may replace this amount with more apple juice)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into about 16 cubes and kept cold

Procedure:
1. Over medium heat, add enough oil to just coat bottom of 3- or 4-quart pot. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add raisins, cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, salt, apple juice and broth, stirring to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium-low, so that mixture bubbles gently. Cook 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst or can be mashed easily. Remove from heat.
2. Discard cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Use immersion (stick) blender to process sauce until smooth. (Alternatively, puree mixture in batches in blender or food processor; if using blender, remove center knob of lid and place clean dish towel over opening to prevent steam from escaping.)
3. Return pot to stove over medium-low heat. When sauce is heated through, whisk in 4-5 small cubes of butter at a time, incorporating them after each addition to form an enriched sauce. Taste, and add seasoning or sugar as needed (making sure to stir and dissolve any additional sugar). Serve warm.

Nutrition data per 2-tablespoon serving: 64 calories, 0 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 42 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 11 g sugar