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Fresh Red Currant Sauce for Meat and Fish

August 6, 2019 By justalittlebitofbacon 2 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

Fresh red currant sauce is great to pair with meats (like pork and venison), poultry (like duck and chicken, and fish (like swordfish and salmon) and it’s also easy to make! So, when you see baskets of red currants at the farm stand or farmers’ market, pick them up and make sauce.

Top view of a cup of red currant sauce on a white plate with a spoon.

Hello, all!

One of my favorite things about summer is stopping by a farm stand and picking up something a little unusual! Fresh red currants are not something I often see, and never at the supermarket, so when I saw baskets of them at my local farm I snatched them up.

The only question was what to make? A dessert? Muffins? Jam?

But I’ve been making enough sweets lately, so I decided to go with an old favorite – tangy fresh red currant sauce to have with dinner. This is a recipe I developed years ago, but haven’t made too many times (see above about not finding fresh currants often). Now was the time to make it again and I hope you find some currants and can make too!

What are red currants?

  • Red currants are a type of gooseberry native to Europe, though there are varieties found in Asia and North America.
  • They range in color from red to white/clear. Obviously the white currants are called white, but they have the same flavor and can be used in the same ways.
  • They are TART. Think a little sweeter form of cranberries. (At least the ones I get are always tart. There may be sweeter varieties elsewhere.)
  • They can sometimes be found in supermarkets in US, but more often at farm stands and farmers’ markets.
  • All currants were banned in the US in 1911 since they were thought to carry white pine rust (a disease of pines). It is only recently we’ve dropped the ban in most areas. Some states still ban them (I’m sorry West Virginia and North Carolina!) and others, like Massachusetts where I’m from, require a permit.

A spoon lifting out of a cup of currant sauce showing the red color and thickness.

What do you need?

  • Red currants. Obviously! And no need to stem them since you will be straining the sauce later.
  • Port. I prefer a ruby port, but I have made the sauce with tawny and also with basic port which isn’t any particular type. Just don’t use expensive port.
  • Orange. I like orange zest to give the orange flavor, but you can switch to orange juice instead.
  • Garlic/shallots. They give the sauce a great savory flavor!
  • Balsamic. Many recipes are better with a little balsamic and this is one of them. Acid, sweetness, and complexity.
  • Sugar. As with cranberries, you need a little sugar to take the edge off of the tartness. You may find you only need a little, so taste and decide.

Step by step on how to make the recipe.

How to make this

To make a savory red currant sauce combine red currants with port, orange, garlic, shallots, and vinegar. Cook the sauce until done, then strain, and reduce. Taste and add sugar as needed.

    1. Everything goes in the saucepan. Including the stems! You will be straining them out.
    2. Then heat and simmer until you have sauce.
    3. Now strain and return it to the pan.
    4. Bring back to a bubble and enjoy.

A white dinner plate with savory red currant sauce over sliced roast pork.

Dinner Recipes with Fruit Sauces

Here are a few of my recipes which pair fruit based sauces with meats, such as duck and lamb.

  • Crispy Pan Seared Duck Breast with Zinfandel Raspberry Sauce
  • Seared Duck Breast with Port Cherry Sauce
  • Grilled Lamb Chops with Fresh Fig Port Sauce
  • Slow Roasted Duck with Crispy Skin   

If you try my recipe for Fresh Red Currant Sauce, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

A great way to enjoy in season fresh red currants is to make a sweet and tangy red currant sauce perfect for pork, venison, duck, salmon, chicken, and more! | justalittlebitofbacon.com #sauces #redcurrants #savorysauce
Print Recipe

Fresh Red Currant Sauce for Meat and Fish

A great way to enjoy in season fresh red currants is to make a sweet and tangy red currant sauce perfect for pork, venison, duck, salmon, chicken, and more!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: currant sauce, red currant sauce
Servings: 8
Calories: 75kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh red currants, washed
  • 1 cup port, preferably ruby port
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp orange zest, optional
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar, or to taste

Instructions

  • *There is no need to stem the currants.*
  • Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids.
  • Pour the sauce back into the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by about half, around 10 minutes.
  • Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Notes

  • Orange zest: If you choose not to add the orange zest, add 2 tablespoons of orange juice to the saucepan instead.
  • Currants: You can use all red currants or a mix of red and white currants in the sauce.
  • Herbs: I don't use any herbs in the sauce. However, a sprig or two of fresh thyme and/or rosemary is a nice addition. Add the herbs with the rest of the ingredients at the beginning.
Sauce in a bowl and over pork with text overlay - Red Currant Sauce.
A bowl of sauce on a white plate with text overlay - Red Currant Sauce.

Related Posts:

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    Simple Farm Stand Summer Pasta
  • A Guide to the Spring Farmers' Market
    A Guide to the Spring Farmers' Market
  • Grilled Sicilian Swordfish with Oregano and Summer Squash
    Grilled Sicilian Swordfish with Oregano and Summer Squash
  • Slow Roasted Salmon with Lemon Herb Sauce
    Slow Roasted Salmon with Lemon Herb Sauce
  • Simple Roast Pork Tenderloin
    Simple Roast Pork Tenderloin

Filed Under: 10 ingredients or less, fruit, gluten free, recipe, sauces and condiments, summer, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: port, red currants

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Comments

  1. Shelley McCarron says

    August 27, 2021 at 3:41 pm

    I made this recipe exactly as directed and it is very bitter. I have more than doubled the sugar amount and it still has a weird bitter aftertaste. I don’t understand why because the ingredients all seem reasonable. I regret using 2 cups of my beautiful currants on this recipe..

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      August 28, 2021 at 12:03 pm

      That is very odd! I’ve made this many times with currants it has never been bitter. Are you absolutely certain you used currants and not wild cherry? Wild cherry looks A LOT like red currant but it is seriously bitter.

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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