Sautéed Country Bread With Cranberry Jam

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 orange, zest removed
1 lemon, zest removed
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Pullman sandwich loaf
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 quart rum-raisin ice cream

Instructions

Add the cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar, the orange and lemon zest, and 1/2 cup water to a saucepan, and fold together. Set the pan over medium-low heat, semi-covered, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, until the cranberries are soft and the sugar forms a syruplike consistency. Remove from the heat, and add the balsamic vinegar. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, transfer to a sealed container, and refrigerate overnight.

Cut eight 1-inch-thick slices of bread, and trim into 3-by-4-inch rectangles. Melt half the butter in a large sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons sugar, and when it dissolves, add half the bread and sauté until golden on both sides, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter, sugar, and bread.

Place the warm sautéed bread on individual plates, spoon the cranberry jam over the top, and finish with a scoop of rum-raisin ice cream. Serve immediately.

(Published 2007)