Mulled Port & Lemon

The European city of Porto, Portugal, is home to many port warehouses with easily recognisable English brand names such as Cockburn, Taylor, Dow, Croft, Sandeman, Churchill’s and Offley, mostly seen from a trip on the river Duoro.  Port and Britain have had a long association dating back to the 16^th and 17^th centuries.  This fortified wine is generally drunk after a meal and a bottle makes a pleasant gift which is why there is a sales peak before Christmas!  Why not break with tradition for the festive season and try this, adapted, old recipe for a spiced, mulled, warmed port with the hint of lemon.

Makes about 1 litre

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 10 cloves
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 300ml (10 fl oz) water
• 1 x 75cl bottle ruby port
• To serve:
• Lemon peel
• Cinnamon sticks

Method

Cut the lemon in half and stud the halves with the cloves.  Place the lemon halves on a piece of Bake-O-Glide placed on an AGA half size hard anodised baking tray. 

2, 3, 4, and 5 oven AGA:  Slide the tray onto the oven grid shelf placed on the floor of the Roasting Oven and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile put the sugar, spices and water into an AGA saucepan then place on the Boiling Plate, bring to the boil whilst stirring and let it boil until it is reduced by almost half.  Remove from the Boiling Plate.

Add the bottle of port to the spiced water, together with the two lemon halves.  Reheat gently and serve warm in glasses with a slice of lemon peel and a cinnamon stick.

By Dawn Roads