Nigella Lawson’s redder than red cranberry sauce

Recipe taken from Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson (Chatto & Windus, £25)

1 x 340g pack fresh cranberries
200g caster sugar
45ml cherry brandy
75ml water

Put everything into a pan and let it bubble away until the berries start to pop, stirring every now and again with a wooden spoon. This will take about 10 minutes.

You should bear in mind, though, that the pectin-rich nature of the fruit means it solidifies enormously on cooling, so although it will be cooked when the berries have burst, it will still look runnier than you think cranberry sauce should.

At this stage, give the sauce a final, vicious, whipping stir to help crush the berries into the liquid, and taste – making sure not to burn your mouth – to check whether it needs more sugar; if you find it too sweet, which is unlikely, just spritz in some lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

If you cook this sauce way in advance, it will jellify a lot so thrash it through with a fork before serving.