RECIPE: Keeping it Festive!
As we have mentioned sipping Vin Chaud at the Christmas Market in Montreux, Switzerland launched us into full-fledged Holiday spirit. Vin Chaud, a.k.a. mildly spicy, hot wine with a splash of cognac, is delightful and perfect for celebratory fireside gatherings and neighborhood strolling. To keep our Holiday glow alive stateside we plan on recreating this delicious concoction and wandering the Venice Canals that are perfectly merry at this time of year....
VIN CHUAD RECIPE
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle red wine
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 5-inch by ½-inch piece of orange zest (white pith removed)
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cardamon pods
- 5 whole cloves
- 1/3 cup Cognac
Preparation:
Cook’s note:For the best flavor, use a slightly fruity red wine.
How to make vin chaud:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to just under a simmer over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Do not allow the wine to boil. The mulled wine is hot enough when the sugar has dissolved and pulling and lifting a spoon from the wine brings up steam. If desired, strain the spices from the wine by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined collander. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Cognac to a mug and ladle the mulled wine over it.
the Venice Canals in California; Vin Chaud in process...