GOOD FOOD // CAMP GRUB 002 // MOUNTAIN MULLED WINE
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire... mulled wine sipping with your bros. Wait... that's not how it goes..? Mulled wine. The drink that..well... keeps you drinking! Yes, we've all been there. There's something about chilly weather and the holidays that just make you want to sip mulled wine, hang with pals around the campfire, and laugh like the ol' jolly good man himself.
So that's why we've climbed and clambered the Camp family tree to share this top secret recipe that's been passed on for generations and generations- a right of passage really! Well maybe it doesn't go back that far, but let's just say this recipe will put you in the crisp weather spirit like no other. Behold the best Mountain Mulled Wine recipe out there (that we know of!) .
THE GOODS:
(Recipe serves 1-10 thirsty adult people)
-2 clementines
-1 lemon
-1 lime
-1 cup cane sugar
-6 whole cloves
-1 cinnamon stick
-1 whole nutmeg, for grating (or about 1/4 tsp already-ground nutmeg if you're not that fancy)
-1 vanilla pod, halved lengthwise
-2 star anise
-2 bottles red wine, your choice!
-handful of dehydrated apple slices *optional
THE PREP:
At Home:
1) Pack everything up! You can do everything at camp. But if you're feeling keen, you can peel your citrus beforehand and bring them along in a container or storage bag- cause you know what they say, the quicker you can make your mulled wine at camp, the more popular you'll be! (They say that right?) .
At Camp:
** You'll need a pot at least large enough to hold the 2 bottles of wine, with some additional room for the other ingredients. This can all be done on a camp stove or over an open fire. The directions that follow are for use on a camp stove. If you opt for an open campfire, ensure all of the sugar is fully dissolved, and remove the pot with your syrup from the fire before mixing in the remainder of the wine.
2) Carve large sections of peel from your clementines, lemon, and lime. Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the clementine juice.
3)
Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Toss in your halved vanilla pod and stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar.
4)
Let this all simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine, and then bring to the boil. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a thick syrup.
*It’s important to make a syrup base first because if you dissolve the sugar with both bottles of wine from the get-go, you'll burn off all the alcohol... and isn't the alcohol pretty much the point of this whole thing anyway?
5)
When your syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and the rest of the wine. Gently heat the wine for about 5 minutes, and when it’s all warm and delicious-like, ladle it into mug(s) and serve.
Tag #campgrub to show us how you make GOOD FOOD in the great outdoors!
More camp inspired good eats // GOOD FOOD
Photography by: Mike Seehagel
Styled by: Ginni Seehagel
GOOD FOOD // CAMP GRUB 002 // MOUNTAIN MULLED WINE
