I normally hold mulled wine in disdain, but I found I rather liked this version, especially when drunk (the wine not me) on the deck in front of a fire at the end of a very fine evening. I shouldn’t be such a snob…
(This is, by the way, my version of what the guardian called ‘the perfect mulled wine’. My version differs only in using half the recommended quantity of sugar, and replacing 300ml of ginger wine with fresh ginger.)
First you make a syrup base. This can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, which makes it perfect for parties.
- 2 oranges, peeled and juiced
- 1 lemon, peel only
- 150 g caster sugar
- 10 cloves
- 10 cardamom pods, bruised
- nutmeg, freshly grated, a bit
- knob of ginger, peeled and cut roughly
Put all of these lovely ingredients into a small saucepan. If you need to, add enough of the red wine you are going to use so the sugar is just covered. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Now bring the mixture up to the boil and cook for 5–8 minutes until you have a thick syrup.
When you are ready to party, combine this syrup with 4 bottles of what the guardian called ‘fruity, unoaked red wine’ and I called ‘merlot’, in a large saucepan and gently heat. If you are feeling fancy, and you don’t forget, you can add a whole orange studded with cloves as a design element. The fire and the deck are optional extras.