How To Make Cranberry Relish Like Anthony Bourdain With Just 3 Ingredients

Cranberry relish is equal parts tart, sweet, and downright tasty, especially when paired with savory meals for a pop of freshness. Combine this naturally alluring side with a relish inspired by Anthony Bourdain's recipe, and you've got yourself a delectable relish you'll want to eat scoop after scoop. Better yet — Bourdain's version only features three ingredients: fresh cranberries, sugar, and an orange (per Food&Wine). 

Rather than cooking these items down into a thick, jelly-like consistency, Bourdain's recipe doesn't require any cooking and instead, uses a food processor to finely chop the berries and pieces of cut orange before dumping them into a bowl, then stirring in granulated sugar. Once it's all combined, it's ready to store in the fridge for up to one week for whenever your meal needs a quick burst of vibrancy. More tips to consider — while Bourdain's recipe relies on fresh cranberries, you can use a frozen bag, too. Just note that the food processor may take longer to chop the berries. 

If you're looking to make this side dish ahead of time, you can prep the relish, then freeze it for up to two months in an airtight plastic bag. When it's time to dig into this tart and sweet creation, place it in the fridge the night before so it's defrosted and ready to enjoy. While traditionally, people pair cranberry-based condiments with Thanksgiving dinner, ditch that notion and use this fresh, tangy condiment more than one day out of the year.

While downing spoonfuls of this relish is totally acceptable, you can also spread it on cream cheese toast for a bright complement, or turn stale bagels into a sweet breakfast favorite like French toast that's topped with maple syrup and generous dollops of this sweet, zingy relish. While on the idea of breakfast — toss a bit of the berry orange creation onto warm oatmeal with chopped pecans to give the mushy consistency a better texture. This combination gives the oats some much-needed fruity sweetness while the nuts add a buttery richness. 

Looking for ways to up your lunch game? Layer your sandwiches the right way, starting with toasty bread and the sauces with a big slather of the relish, which gives a delicious pop of flavor on a salty chicken lunchmeat with your favorite toppings. While the cranberry and orange are the stars of the show, you could also incorporate any herbs you like to give a spin on Bourdain's base. For example, tossing in some fresh basil will impart a sweet, somewhat peppery clove-like taste, which brings out the orange aromas. Mint is another refreshing and aromatic herb that could go in the relish to make a statement in a rich lamb-based meal, bringing out a subtle sweetness. Either herb-boosted variety of relish is a pleasant side to various poultry dishes, like pairing with another famous culinarian, Ina Garten's perfectly cooked chicken, for a chef-backed dinner.