At Thanksgivings almost every year, there seems to be the issue of how to handle leftover cranberry sauce. It doesn’t matter if it’s the jelly commercially made version in the shape of a can or a homemade one from scratch (like my blood orange thyme cranberry sauce), cranberry sauce is categorically one of the least popular items on a traditional Thanksgiving menu.
And yet, its leftovers are always there. But this year, we’re tackling it in a way that I think anyone would love and support; breathing second life into any version of cranberry sauce leftovers you might have around.
We do this through two seemingly difficult yet actually extremely easy items: a cranberry ponzu dipping sauce and tempura veggies.
In this case, I used beautiful rings of delicata I easily sliced up and gutted.
I am a big big fan of a tempura anything, but especially a tempura’ed squash. And since tempura is essentially just a fancier way to fry things, I don’t think anyone would be against a little lightly battered and fried anything at the holidays (or honestly, any time).
The cranberry ponzu comes together with a little half cup of leftover sauce, juice of one orange of any kind, a little fresh ginger, red chili flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a tiny bit of maple for balance. It’s not spicy but has a kick just enough to lift and keep the fried delicata feeling fresh and airy.
It’s simple, topically seasonal, and perfect for the lingering next day guests who are leftover adverse (and trust me, I live with one of those kinds so I know the type). 😂🤍
Tempura Delicata Rounds with Cranberry Ponzu
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk or chopsticks
- Small saucepan or bowl (for ponzu)
- Frying pot or deep skillet
- Thermometer (recommended but not required)
- Slotted spoon or spider
- Cooling rack or paper towels
Ingredients
For the Tempura Delicata
- 1 medium delicata squash seeds removed, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 1 cup all-purpose flour divided
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water or ice-cold still water!
- Neutral oil for frying
For the Cranberry Ponzu
- ½ cup leftover cranberry sauce whole-berry or jellied
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice or lemon, or any citrus!
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
- ½ –1 teaspoon grated ginger optional but Recommended
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Add the cranberry sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and orange juice to a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Stir in orange zest and ginger if using. Add red pepper flakes if you want heat.
- Taste and adjust acidity or salt as needed. Set aside or chill.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot to 350–365°F.
- Pat the delicata slices dry. Dredge each ring in ½ cup of the flour so the batter adheres.
- In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- Pour in the ice-cold sparkling water and mix gently with chopsticks or a fork. Leave visible lumps; do not overmix.
- Dip each floured delicata ring into the batter, letting excess drip off.
- Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, or until pale-gold and crisp.
- Transfer to a cooling rack or paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt while hot.
- Serve immediately with the cranberry ponzu.