Smoking Bishop (recipe)

Illustration by John Leech

“A merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!”

from “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, 1843

Smoking Bishop is a mulled wine, and ever since I bothered to learn that that is what it is, I have offered to make it for holiday gatherings, especially for those related to my work at Great Lakes Theater. This year I will be making it twice, for the staff party, and again for the actor-teachers in the new year.

• Take five oranges and one grapefruit and roast until  browned.
• Jab each of the fruits with cloves, six to eight each, place in a bowl and add two bottles of red wine, along with a quarter pound of sugar.
• Cover and let sit for about a day, in a warm place (I choose the oven).
• Juice the citrus into the wine and strain into a crockpot. Add the port and heat until it is “smoking” and serve.

You can also add spices including small amounts of cinnamon, mace, allspice, ginger, and/or nutmeg, to taste, though I have found satisfaction without them.