A good mulled wine is, for me, the ultimate taste and smell of Christmas in a glass. A real winter warmer on dark, damp nights. I love this Sangria style recipe which makes it a bit more fruity which I adore. You will need:
A couple of bottles of red wine of your choice (I like a good bottle of Chianti)
Pomegranate juice
250g caster sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise pods
6 whole cloves
peel of 1 lemon
1 thinly sliced pear
a couple of handfuls of pomegranate seeds
2 oranges
Firstly peel your oranges and lemon and put in a large pan. Throw in the sugar and juice from the oranges and put on a medium heat. Add cloves and cinnamon sticks. Splash enough wine over to cover it all and allow to boil for a few minutes. If you do this first and allow the sugar to dissolve you create a delicious thick syrup - without the treat of burning off the alcohol from your wine! Once the syrup is made turn to a low heat, pour in the pomegranate juice, chuck in the sliced apples pears and pomegranate seeds, along with the star anise and the rest of the wine. Gently heat and serve to warm the bellies of your Christmas guests.
- A generous splash of brandy can be added for a little extra gusto!
