Romanian mulled wine with orange and ginger

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. First, prepare the spice mixture. Wash the apples well, then place them in a pot with all the spices except the rosemary and pour cold water over them. The apples must be completely dry so they gradually absorb the aroma of the spices. Add the cleaned orange peel and sliced ginger.
2. Cover the pot and place over very low heat. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let cool for at least an hour, then remove the bay leaves.
3. The bay leaves have done their job; cooking them longer would make the drink bitter. Pour half the wine into the cooled mixture. The wine must be cold, because the longer it warms with the spices, the more aroma it absorbs. Slowly heat, uncovered, to 70°C (158°F).
4. Do not heat it any higher, as the drink would become bitter. If you do not have a thermometer, test the temperature with your little finger: you should be able to keep it in the drink for 5 seconds. If you can keep it in longer, continue heating and check the temperature every minute so the wine does not boil over.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Pour in the remaining wine and the juice of half a lemon, then add a few orange slices, the rosemary sprig, and sugar or honey. Stir everything together, cover, and heat again to 70°C (158°F).
6. Immediately pour the drink into glasses through a fine-mesh strainer or cloth. Serve with a cinnamon stick or an orange slice.

Tip: Lightly crush the cardamom with the flat side of a knife before cooking to help release the aroma of the seeds. Keep the finished drink warm in a thermos rather than on the stove, where it could easily overheat.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Rumunské varené víno s pomarančom, zázvorom a škoricou