Bishop (wine and port)

Bishop (wine and port)

This recipe takes more time to do than our other version, but has a lovely depth of flavor. It takes into account that the earliest recipes call for Seville oranges, a bitter orange variety – except for the recipes that use only lemons, which don’t result in so pleasant a beverage, in my opinion.

Yield: 12 servings
Prep time:  min
Cook time:  min

Ingredients

5 oranges (or 3 very large oranges)
2 lemons
30-35 cloves
1 c. water
1/4 c. sugar (brown or white)
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground mace or nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1-1/2″ piece of ginger, medium dice

1 bottle (750 ml) red wine
1 bottle (750 ml) ruby port

Make

Wash the oranges and lemons, and stud them with cloves. Put them on a baking dish and bake at 350F for 60-90 min, until the skin is lightly toasted (it will lose its bright color). Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Combine the water and spices in a large pan and bring to a boil. Boil lightly until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 c. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in another large pan, combine the red wine and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 10 min. Remove from heat and stir in the spice mixture. Set the roasted citrus in the pan with the wine and spices.

Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set in a (relatively) warm part of the kitchen for 24 hours.

Remove the citrus, juicing all but 1 lemon and 1 orange into the liquid. Strain the liquid. Add the port and reheat to almost a simmer. Remove from heat and transfer to the serving bowl.

Slice the remaining orange and lemon into rounds or chunks, and float them in the bishop.

Notes

White and brown sugars will naturally give different flavors. Both are quite nice. Likewise mace and nutmeg, which after all are merely different parts of the same fruit.

Be sure not to let it boil once the port has been added.

(original post)

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