We've all heard it and read it:
"A merry Christmas, Bob! Said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken…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!..."But what the heck is 'smoking bishop?'
This year I finally broke down and looked it up:
- Take six Seville oranges and bake them in a moderate oven until pale brown. If you cannot procure any bitter Seville oranges, use four regular oranges and one large grapefruit.
Prick each of the oranges with five whole cloves, put them into a warmed ceramic or glass vessel with one-quarter pound of sugar and a bottle of red wine, cover the vessel, and leave it in a warm place for 24 hours.
Take the oranges out of the mixture, cut in half and squeeze the juice, then pour the juice back into the wine.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan through a sieve, add a bottle of port, heat (without boiling), and serve in warmed glasses.
Drink the mixture, and keep Christmas well!
Sounds right tasty!
If you don't drink wine, substitute pomegranate juice for the wine, and maybe cherry juice for the port. Or just use all pomegranate juice.
Pomegranate juice and ginger ale or ginger beer make a right fine virgin wine cooler too.
