Smoking Bishop

Smoking Bishop
Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Amy Wilson.
Rating
4(128)
Notes
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‘‘I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family,’’ Scrooge tells Bob Cratchit near the end of A Christmas Carol, ‘‘and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop!’’ This recipe, adapted from the book Drinking With Dickens, by Charles Dickens’s great-grandson, Cedric, reflects Scrooge’s new disposition and largesse perfectly: it’s warm and sweet and meant for sharing. (To Cedric Dickens’s recipe, I’ve added some fragrant cardamom pods, because years of drinking glogg have shown me how well they play with orange and wine, but you may omit them). 

If you’re unable to find Seville oranges—marked by a pleasant, pronounced bitterness — substitute five navel oranges, and add the juice of one lemon when you add the port to the pan (do not stud the lemon with cloves or roast the lemon with the oranges). —Rosie Schaap

Featured in: A Victorian Toast

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Ingredients

  • 6Seville oranges
  • ½cup Demerara sugar
  • 1bottle red wine (not too dry nor too sweet)
  • 1bottle Ruby port
  • 30cloves
  • 5dried green cardamom pods
  • Orange peel for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

454 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 43 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 23 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare oranges for roasting: wash and dry them well, and stud each fruit equally with cloves. Roast the clove-studded fruits in the oven for an hour, then transfer them to a large glass or ceramic bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Add the sugar and the red wine (do not add the port yet) to the bowl. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm spot in the kitchen for at least 12 hours, and up to 24.

  3. Step 3

    After the citrus-sugar-wine mixture has rested, cut the fruits in half and juice them through a strainer into the wine and sugar mixture. Discard fruits after they have been juiced. Strain the mixture again, this time into a heavy saucepan. Discard solids.

  4. Step 4

    Add the port, the cinnamon stick, and the cardamom pods to the saucepan, and heat very slowly—until it “smokes” (the vapors rise), hence the name; do not allow it to boil.

  5. Step 5

    Once the Bishop is as hot as you like, turn off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Serve in warmed, heatproof glasses, garnished with orange peel.

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4 out of 5
128 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

i cant believe no one has commented on this recipe. my husband made this for our holiday celebration last night. we only used 3 oranges but they were large ones. let me tell you. it was absolutely delicious and perfect for a winter night. we will definitely be including this as part of our punch rotation.

I made my shopping list for this and I'm glad I read all of the steps. Step 4 mentions cinnamon sticks which are absent from the ingredients list.

I love, love Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I read it every holiday season. I have always wondered what a bowl of Smoking Bishop was. I wanted to make this, but it is too much for two and there are no parties with Covid. Decided to make the wine and fruit part as a base and store it in glass in the fridge. Then all we have to do is add about an equal amount of port, some cinnamon and cardamom, and heat up an amount that suits us for the evening. Delicious! Will make this for friends next year.

FANTASTIC. I made it exactly as directed, with the exception that we added the port in the cup (roughly equal parts port and wine), as we had some who didn't want as much alcohol. Both the port and non-port drinkers declared it to be NEXT LEVEL. I've made a lot of mulled wine over the years, and this preparation is definitely worth it. We are all Dickens nerds over here, so we will definitely be making it again at Christmas, reading the lovely passage as we sip!

We make this every year, put I dont use sugar. great drink.

I need an idea for how to keep this hot during a party. Could this be made in a slow-cooker?

Final steps Threw some extra cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks in, got it nice and smoking and served it up. Reviews are very positive and got asked for the recipe. Maybe a bit on the tart side, but you could increase sugar too taste. Would make again, with a bit more sugar or a different port.

Picking up a day later Cut and juices the oranges - surprised the wine didn’t soak in more? Hmm may have used to shallow a bowl, but not much color. Using a half lemon and adding the port after straining Tasted and getting a bit more citrus bitter finish. Maybe sugar was a little light.

I make this every year. I use navel oranges, cinnamon stick instead of cardamon. Some years it sits for 12 hours some only 4 hours. Made with cheap port and mediocre wine it tastes delicious.

Building this one as I make it - hilariously fussy ingredient list but missing the cinnamon stick and lacking detail in key areas - wine - not too dry and not too sweet? So wine? No varietal recommendation a standard identification of wine huh. Used a 2018 red blend from central coast of California. - no luck on Seville oranges so used the naval, no luck on obscure sugars or ports so used coconut sugar and warrre warrior port - a tawny would be fine I suppose -

FANTASTIC. I made it exactly as directed, with the exception that we added the port in the cup (roughly equal parts port and wine), as we had some who didn't want as much alcohol. Both the port and non-port drinkers declared it to be NEXT LEVEL. I've made a lot of mulled wine over the years, and this preparation is definitely worth it. We are all Dickens nerds over here, so we will definitely be making it again at Christmas, reading the lovely passage as we sip!

First, seville oranges don't appear to exist in the US. I made it as directed with naval plus a lemon. We enjoyed it, but it's a bit sweet for my taste, and the flavors don't meld together well. I love the historical nature of the recipe, but I suspect there are better hot wine drinks.

Any recommendations on the type and/or brand of wine?

Ruby port from Portugal and add any red wine.

Absolutely delicious. Note that the directions call for a cinnamon stick but that’s not listed in the ingredients.

There are hundreds of mulled wine recipes out there, but if you have the time, make this one. The first time I made it was for book club, and now I get requests for it every winter.

I love, love Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I read it every holiday season. I have always wondered what a bowl of Smoking Bishop was. I wanted to make this, but it is too much for two and there are no parties with Covid. Decided to make the wine and fruit part as a base and store it in glass in the fridge. Then all we have to do is add about an equal amount of port, some cinnamon and cardamom, and heat up an amount that suits us for the evening. Delicious! Will make this for friends next year.

I made this for Christmas and it is absolutely amazing. The cardamon really adds a special flavor. This may become a holiday tradition.

I made my shopping list for this and I'm glad I read all of the steps. Step 4 mentions cinnamon sticks which are absent from the ingredients list.

i cant believe no one has commented on this recipe. my husband made this for our holiday celebration last night. we only used 3 oranges but they were large ones. let me tell you. it was absolutely delicious and perfect for a winter night. we will definitely be including this as part of our punch rotation.

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Credits

Adapted from “Drinking With Dickens,” by Cedric Dickens

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