Tolkien Fan Fiction
| 23 |
| Wassail |
“Wassail,” declaimed Auntie Dora, “is more an Art than merely the Results of following a Recipe! You must first use a melon baller in order to scoop out the core of an apple, but without piercing through the bottom of the apple. One fills that with raw sugar, you see. Now, stud the sides of each apple with cloves. The rest of the spices? Oh, they go into an infusion bag wrought of fine muslin tied with cotton thread….” Frodo followed her instructions, and soon was inhaling the heady aroma of the wassail warming slowly in Bilbo’s largest kitchen cauldron. •6 small Fuji apples, cored •1 cup brown sugar •1 cup water •72 ounces ale •750 ml Madeira •10 whole cloves •10 whole allspice berries •1 cinnamon stick, 2-inches long •1 teaspoon ground ginger •1 teaspoon ground nutmeg •6 large eggs, separated · Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. · Put the apples into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the brown sugar into the center of each apple, dividing the sugar evenly among them. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. · Pour the ale and Madeira into a large slow cooker. Put the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon into a small muslin bag or cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine, and add to the slow cooker along with the ginger and nutmeg. Set the slow cooker to medium heat and bring the mixture to at least 120 degrees F. Do not boil. · Add the egg whites to a medium bowl and using a hand mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. Put the egg yolks into a separate bowl and beat until lightened in color and frothy, approximately 2 minutes. Add the egg whites to the yolks and using the hand mixer, beat, just until combined. Slowly add 4 to 6 ounces of the alcohol mixture from the slow cooker to the egg mixture, beating with the hand mixer on low speed. Return this mixture to the slow cooker and whisk to combine. · Add the apples and the liquid from the baking dish to the wassail and stir to combine. Ladle into cups and serve. · Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009 from the FoodNetwork.com/recipes site |