Mulled Wine
I think we’ve built more fires (both indoor and out) over the past few months than we’ve built in all the years we’ve lived in Nyack. And there’s nothing like a big pot of mulled wine simmering away on the stove while the fire’s burning. This was my first time making the citrusy, fragrant brew, but it won’t be my last. I found so many delicious-sounding recipes and settled on the one below from the NYT.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 large oranges
4 ¼ cups/1 liter red wine
1 ¼ cups/10 ounces brandy
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
1 star anise (my addition; it wasn’t included in the NYT recipe)
Preparation
Using a peeler, remove the peel in strips from 1 orange then juice the orange. Slice the other orange into rounds and reserve for garnish.
In a nonreactive saucepan, combine orange peel, juice and the rest of the ingredients. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high, bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently until flavors meld, about 30 minutes. Strain the mixture, discarding the solids.
Ladle into cups or mugs. Garnish each with a reserved orange round.
