prep
5 minutes
cook
1:15 hour
difficulty
Easy
preparation
5
minutes
cooking
1:15
hour
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 8 cumquats
- 1 tbsp cloves
- 750 ml medium-bodied red wine (such as pinot noir)
- 100 g brown sugar
- 5 cinnamon quills
- 3 star anise
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 750 ml (3 cups) port
Makes about 1 L
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C. Stud each cumquat with 4 cloves. Place cumquats in a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes or until just softened and slightly browned.
Pour half the red wine into a large saucepan with sugar, cinnamon, any remaining cloves, star anise and allspice berries. Place over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar, then cook for 1 hour. If you’re an organised sort of person, you could remove from heat at this point and stand overnight at room temperature, covered, to let the mixture infuse. Alternatively, just proceed to the next step.
Add port and remaining 375 ml (1½ cups) red wine to spiced wine mixture. Stir to combine and heat until mixture is hot, being careful not to let it boil or you’ll lose most of the alcohol and some of the flavour. When ready to serve, strain mixture into a serving bowl, adding baked cumquats and any juices. Ladle into warmed glasses or teacups and serve by the fire.
Photography Alan Benson. Styling Michelle Crawford. Food preparation Asher Gilding.
As seen in Feast magazine, July 2014, Issue 33.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
