Charlie's journey into domesticity

Citrus Mulled Wine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter to me tastes like glasses of warm mulled wine flavored with winter spices, citrus & vanilla! I first tried mulled wine at Epcot in the Norway pavilion and I was hooked!  Warm winter Sangria!   If you love wine and sangria you will love this, and the whole house will smell like Christmas! 

Citrus Mulled Wine Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 bottles of Red Wine
• 4 clementines
• 1 grpefruit
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 apple
• 1 cup of sugar, or to taste
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 whole nutmeg (grated)
• 1 whole vanilla pod (split)
• 2 star anise

To serve

• lemon, lime, oranges and grapefruit  (cut into thick wedges and thin slices)

To begin: Zest with a lemon zester or cheese grater one of each citrus fruit.

In a large heavy-based saucepan heat the sugar over a medium heat, then add in the zest and squeeze in the clementine, orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime juice (over a sieve to catch any seeds). Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg.  Stir for one minute to mix everything into the sugar syrup base.

Split a vanilla pod with a knife down its length, add it and the seeds to the saucepan and add in just enough red wine to cover the sugar. Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the small amount of red wine, and then bring to the boil while stirring. Keep on a rolling simmer for about 4 minutes, or until a thick citrus spiced syrup is produced. Make sure the syrup does not burn, turn down the heat and stir if catching.

Making The Citrus Mulled Wine - Sugar & Peel - Citrus Syrup - Mulling The Wine

When your syrup is ready turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and both bottles of wine. Gently heat the wine on a low heat, stir occasionally and after around 15 minutes turn it off.

With a sharp knife prepare the fruit slices and wedges. It looks good to have a mixture of thick wedges and thin slices served in the glasses. Leave the peel on but remove any noticeable pith and seeds.

After the wine has mulled through, sieve the wine into a jug, punch bowl or clean saucepan to serve from and add back in the cinnamon sticks and the prepared fruit wedges.

When it is still warm and delicious, ladle the Citrus Mulled Wine into glasses with one or two wedges of citrus fruit and serve. Enjoy!  Merry Christmas!