The fruit is most of the work in a batch of mulled wine for a crowd, and it takes about fifteen minutes on a board. Wash the oranges and lemon, peel wide strips of zest with a vegetable peeler so no white pith comes with them, stud a few strips with cloves, juice what is left, and slice one or two fresh oranges into thin wheels for the cups. The peel and juice go into the pot with the wine and spices; the wheels are for serving.
Mulled wine is red wine warmed with spices and fruit. It is usually served at Christmas markets in Europe, and German Glühwein is usually spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, orange and sugar. At home, made in a big pot or a slow cooker, it is a simple way to serve twenty people at once.
How much for a crowd
For about 20 small cups of 4 ounces each:
- 3 bottles (750 ml each) dry, fruity red wine
- 3 oranges
- 1 lemon
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise
- 12 whole cloves
- 6 green cardamom pods (optional)
- A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger (optional)
- ½ cup brown sugar or honey, plus more to taste
- ½ cup brandy (optional)
Choose an inexpensive wine you would happily drink on its own.
Wash the fruit first
The peel goes into the drink, so wash every orange and lemon even though nobody eats the rind. The FDA advises rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten, and scrubbing firm produce with a clean produce brush. Dry the fruit with a towel; a wet peel slips under the peeler.
Peel wide strips, leave the pith
The white pith under the zest can be bitter, so peel only the colored zest and leave the pith on the fruit.
- Hold the orange in your hand, not on the board, and draw a sharp Y-peeler from top to bottom with light pressure. Turn the fruit and repeat. Each strip should be thin enough that the color shows through from the back.
- Check the back of each strip. If white pith shows, lay the strip flat on the board, skin side down, and shave the pith off with a paring knife held almost flat.
- Peel two of the oranges and half the lemon this way. Leave the third orange whole for the wheels.
Two oranges’ worth of strips and a few lemon strips are enough for three bottles.
Stud a few strips with cloves
Loose cloves end up in cups. Push them into the peel instead.
Take four of the widest orange strips and press three cloves through each, from the colored side, spaced along the strip. The cloves stay put, the strips are easy to fish out with a ladle, and the spice stays measured. If you prefer the classic look, stud the cloves into a few orange wheels instead; in Britain, mulled wine is sometimes served with an orange slice studded with cloves.
Juice, ginger and cardamom
Juice the peeled oranges. Halve the peeled fruit on the board and squeeze it into a measuring cup through a strainer, along with the peeled lemon half. A board with a juice groove keeps the runoff from the cut halves on the board instead of on the counter.
A WONAMU. acacia cutting board is 12 × 9 inches with a perimeter juice groove, room for the peel, the halves and a pile of wheels at once.
Slice the ginger. Peel it with the edge of a spoon and cut it into thin coins. How to cut ginger covers the rest.
Crack the cardamom. Lay the pods on the board and press each one with the flat of a chef’s knife until it splits.
Slice the serving wheels
Wheels are for the cups, not the pot. Cut them last, while the wine warms, so they look fresh.
Trim a thin slice from each end of the whole orange, then cut straight across into wheels about ¼ inch thick, with a sharp knife and long, even strokes. Cut a slit from the center to the edge of each wheel if you want it to sit on the rim of a cup. The full method is in how to cut citrus garnishes.
Into the pot
Put the wine, peel strips, clove-studded strips, orange juice, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, cardamom and sugar in a large pot or a slow cooker.
In a slow cooker: heat on low for about an hour and a half to two hours, until hot. Then switch it to warm, and keep the lid on between servings.
On the stove: heat over low heat until the surface steams, and keep it there. It should never bubble. Hold it on the lowest setting for the party.
Taste after an hour and add sugar a spoonful at a time. Stir in the brandy just before serving, if using. When the pot runs low, top it up with more wine and give it time to warm through again.
Ladle into heatproof cups and float a fresh wheel in each. For a party, set the slow cooker on a side table with the cups, a ladle and a small plate of wheels so guests serve themselves; how to host a holiday open house has more on a drinks station that runs itself.
Clean-up
Wash the board in warm soapy water once the fruit is done, rinse, and dry it with a towel. Citrus juice dries sticky, and a wash before the party starts leaves the board ready for the cheese.
The short version
Wash the citrus, even the peel. Peel wide strips with a Y-peeler and trim any white pith, stud a few strips with cloves, and juice the peeled fruit. Crack the cardamom, slice the ginger, and add it all to three bottles of red wine with cinnamon, star anise and sugar.
Warm it gently, never to a boil, and keep it warm for the evening. Slice the serving wheels last, ¼ inch thick, and float one in every cup.
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WONAMU. makes an acacia cutting board, 12 × 9 inches, acacia, with a perimeter juice groove. Available on Amazon.
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