Mulled wine and roasted chesnut

If we can’t get out for a cup of mulled wine and a portion of roasted chesnuts then we are going to prepare them at home. It was the first really cold day this season, but it was sunny. The whole family is at home so we decided to have an autumn picnic.

For chesnuts, we bought last year a spinning drum with a propane grill. Really useful device. You can buy or collect chestnuts in the woods. Before putting chestnuts on fire you cut skin on each in an X shape. They are roasted on mild fire for 25 minutes. After you take them off the fire put them in a container and cover them with a wet cloth for 5 minutes before you will peel and eat them.

Mulled wine is a winter drink in Alpine countries. This hot and tasty beverage can be prepared easily. First, we choose wine. I prefer the original red wine variation, but the white one is also a valid option. I would suggest taking mid-range quality wine. Cheap ones are not good for anything and expensive ones you don’t want to waste on mulled wine. Below are 5 basic ingredients and recipe on how to prepare it. In the end, there are optional ingredients for you to experiment with.

• Wine
• Water (1:3 to 1:2 ratio with wine)
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Whole cloves

For 5 servings you mix together 1 bottle of wine 750ml, a glass of water 250ml, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 5 cloves, and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Put it on mild heat for 20 minutes. Keep it under 75 degrees Celsius so you don’t lose alcohol.

Optional ingrediens:

• Citrus (orange for red and lemon for white, juice or slices or skin; garnish)
• Honey or sirup to replace sugar
• Ginger for white wine
• Spirit to enhance taste
• Anis star
• Vanilla
• Bay leaves
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom