bradmax

Mood: ‘Christmas Revels’, various companies

A Time of Good Cheer, Good Friends and a Big Bowl of Wassail…

For a few years, now, I have thrown a small Christmas party for those I work with. It is in my nature to make something in the spirit of Christmas, be it food of sweet or savory composition, or some sort of a token Christmas gift, or something else. Last year, I found a good recipe for Wassail, an alcoholic beverage.

What the heck is Wassail?? There is a general definition above, but as is my wont, I’ll go into a very little history here.

The term “wassail” can trace its origins to what is termed pagan Britain. The Anglo-Saxon tradition included a New Year celebration in the halls of the chieftain or lord of the area, including a grand feast with a giant bowl of a sort of punch: said to be a mix of cider, ale and mead infused with bountiful spices and crab apples. The Lord would toast those present with the shout of the blessing of waes hael, meaning “be whole” or “good health”. (Also where the word ‘hale’ comes from, as in ‘hale and hearty’) The hearty response to this ‘demand’ would be drinc hael! A toast to the health of all present.

The idea of wassailing, all the blessing, toasting, sharing and giving thanks during the Yuletide period, all Twelve Days of it, has continued through the centuries, though it has taken on different ‘forms’.. The Victorian style, if you will. Was to take a turn on the spirit of generosity of the Season by endorsing the concept of wassailing from door to door; the less fortunate folk singing songs in return for charitable gifts, rather than begging. This eventually morphed into the door-to-door singing known as Christmas carolling.

I am sure some must be familiar with the song that goes:

Here we come a-caroling,
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.

We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door,
But ew are neighbors' children
Whom you have seen before.
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.

God bless the master of this house,
Likewise the mistress too;
And all the little children
Whom you have seen before
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.

As far as we can tell, this is a mid-19th century composition, but the history enmeshed in it is obvious.

Some families even had an heirloom of a Wassail bowl passed down from generation to generation.

The Reason For This Christmas Blog

Drinking.

I have been an imbiber of mulled apple cider for many years, always beginning around Thanksgiving time and going through to January or February. One of my brothers was fond of mulling wine. The interesting thing about heating a spirit is that it atomizes into a vapor in the mouth, seeming to strengthen the potency, though it is only enhancing the flavor and experience. The ‘potency’ comes from the vapor, which serves as a concentrate of the effects of alcohol. Not unpleasant, but as with all such inebrients, moderation, please!

Mulling It Over

The basic ingredients for mulling spices is as follows:

• 3 ounces cinnamon sticks (crushed if to be used in a tea ball)

• 6 whole nutmeg (crushed, again for the same reason)

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried orange peel

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried lemon peel

• 1/4 cup allspice berries

• 1/4 cup whole cloves

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger.

  The amount can easily vary depending on tastes, of course.

  Just these ingredients are great for mulling cider or red wine. However…

  Just A Big Bowl of Wassail

  A few recipes I have used over the years will follow. The first is my preferred for Wassail, the second is of a more literary but still seasonal bent.

  Classic Wassail

  • 6 Fuji apples, cored
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 24 ounces ale
  • 2 bottles Madeira (or any type of good burgundy wine)
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 10 whole allspice berries
  • 1 cinnamon stick, 2-inches long
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  Put the apples into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the brown sugar into the center of each apple, dividing the sugar evenly among them. Pour the water and orange juice into the bottom of the dish and bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

  Pour the ale and Madeira into a large saucepan or slow cooker. Put the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon into a small muslin bag or cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine, and add to the slow cooker along with the ginger and nutmeg. Set the heat to medium and bring the mixture to at least 120 degrees F. Do not boil.

  Add the apples and the liquid from the baking dish to the wassail and stir to combine. Ladle into cups and serve.

  Over the years, I have preferred making this in a crockpot, and that meant using four apples to bake, with only two of those going into the crockpot, but it still come out a treat!

  Smoking Bishop

  

  Simply another name for a more or less Wassail bowl, I include it here as it was in, as you may have guessed with the small hint above, in A Christmas Carol by a little known author named Charles Dickens 😉.

  The recipe is as follows:

• 5 oranges
2 lemons
• 30 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1 piece fresh ginger root (thumb-sized), peeled and cut into chunks
• 750 milliliters red wine (1 bottle)
• 1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste
• 750 milliliters ruby port (1 bottle)

INSTRUCTIONS

• If using organic oranges and lemon, remove any stickers and scrub them clean gently with a brush or rough sponge, then pat dry. If using non-organic citrus, fruit will have a thicker layer of wax on the peel. It is best to remove the wax from the outer peel before proceeding. To do this, combine 1 cup of water with 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the fruit to coat, or dip the fruit into the solution to cover completely. Let the fruit sit for 10 minutes, then rinse under cool water and scrub gently with a brush or rough sponge till the wax is removed. Pat dry.

  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. To start, you will need the 5 oranges and 1 of the lemons; reserve the second lemon for later. Make 5 small incisions with a sharp knife into each orange and the lemon. Stick whole cloves into each incision. Place oranges and lemon on a baking sheet.Place the fruit in the oven. Let it roast for about 75 minutes, until the peels begin to lose their bright color and turn paler. Remove fruit from the oven. Replace any cloves that have fallen from their incisions, then place the fruit into the bottom of a large bowl.

  In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with the cinnamon, allspice, mace, and ginger chunks. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Simmer the mixture for a few minutes, stirring frequently, till the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat.

  In a larger pan, pour the bottle of red wine (not the port) and heat over medium high till it boils. Reduce heat to a slow simmer, then pour in the sugar and whisk till it dissolves. Let the wine simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the spiced liquid mixture. Remove from heat.

  Pour the heated wine over the roasted oranges and lemon. Stir the fruit and wine gently to combine.Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm corner for 24 hours. After 24 hours, slice the oranges and lemon in half. Juice them into the spiced wine. Pour the wine mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a pot to remove large spices and solids. Press down gently on the solids with a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible.

  Add the bottle of port to the pot. Stir and heat over medium till hot, but do not boil. Vapors will begin to rise from the warming wine—this is the “smoking” part of the “smoking bishop.” Taste the mixture; add more sugar to taste, if desired. Cut the remaining lemon into rounds or wedges and float them in the warmed wine. Pour the wine into heat-safe mugs or glasses, or serve in a punch bowl.

  This is obviously a more in-depth recipe, taking over a day in preparation. Trust me, though, if you have the time and inclination, it is so very much worth the effort!

  Waes hael, and pax vobiscum!!!