A Victorian era drink from the United Kingdom. The drink was immortalized by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol. A balance of wine and port mulled with bittersweet fruit and spices. Wonderful served hot on a cold winter’s day. Garnish with a little orange rind if desired. Makes just over 1 1/2 quarts.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6-8 people | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 1 hour | 24 hours |
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A Victorian era drink from the United Kingdom. The drink was immortalized by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol. A balance of wine and port mulled with bittersweet fruit and spices. Wonderful served hot on a cold winter’s day. Garnish with a little orange rind if desired. Makes just over 1 1/2 quarts.
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Ingredients
- 5 oranges
- 1 etrog
- OR grapefruit
- OR lemons
- 35 whole whole cloves
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 750 ml red wine
- 750 ml port (ruby, a.k.a. young port, is best)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
Day 1
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Stick 5 oranges with 5 whole cloves each, then slice in half. Slice the etrog (or grapefruit or lemon) in half as well. Place fruit on a sheet pan and roast for 35-45 minutes until the bottom is blackened and the fruit bulges open.
- Using tongs, nestle the hot fruit in a non-reactive container (glass or ceramic works well). Add the brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
- Pour on a bottle of red wine. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon because it balances out the sweet port well, but any good red wine will do.
- Cover and set in a sunny window for 24 hours. This will give time for the fruit to release some of its essential oils.
Day 2
- The next day, remove the fruit and juice it through a strainer set over a large pot. Press the pulp through the strainer as best you can to get every last drop. Discard the fruit skins. Now strain the wine mixture into the same pot. Add the cinnamon sticks and star anise back into the pot. Heat until “smoking” hot (just below a simmer). Add the port and return to “smoking.”
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and star anise; serve hot from a punch bowl (alternatively a good quality Air Pot will keep it at a merry temperature for 12-24 hours!).