Tis the season for a cocktail, a holiday cocktail; something warm and comforting. The mere idea of a steamy mug of fragrant luxury laced with a fiery shot of a seasonal spirit is warming to both body and soul.
Hot drinks have been an essential part of our social dynamic for centuries. From festive wassail gatherings in 13th century England to serving up hot “flips” in pubs and taverns all the way through to the Tom and Jerry’s of mid-century America. Nowadays warm drinks like toddys are often associated with our cool weather activities.
So I have just the thing, a crimson colored holiday cup of cheer. It is a style of mulled wine, similar to wassail, and something like a warmed sangria though made with port. Traditionally it is scented with cloves and sour oranges, but my version has been updated just a bit. It is called a Smoking Bishop and it has come to be associated with Christmas itself.
We have Charles Dickens to thank for that. Because at the very end of his beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol, a reformed Ebenezer Scrooge, and his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit promise to share this oddly named libation:
“A Merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a bowl of Smoking Bishop, Bob!”
The name presumably comes from the color of a Bishop’s robe. It may seem odd or perhaps even disrespectful to us today, but certain drinks were associated with the clergy at that time. Because people back in the 1800s enjoyed a whole range of clerical drinks. The Pope is associated with burgundy wine. A Cardinal is champagne or rye, an Archbishop is a claret, Bishop is a port, etc.
I got all this information from a book written by the great-grandson of Charles Dickens called Drinking with Dickens. In that book the author shows the recipe for a traditional Smoking Bishop this way:
- 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!
In my version, I have replaced Seville oranges with cute little kumquats, which are then similarly spiced and baked. I also let the mixture come to a boil, then I simmer for an hour, turn off the heat and refortify with brandy and brown sugar.
Traditionally, the punch bowl was set alight but port catches fire about as easily as wet underpants so Sup! sez forget the flame and learn to ladle.
Smoking Bishop serves 8 CLICK here for a printable recipe for my updated version
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
[…] a holiday roast or cocktail party. Dust off your fancy glasses and be sure to pair with a batch of Smoking Bishops (mulled wine), or your best scotch, rum, or cognac. (suggestions […]
[…] a holiday roast or cocktail party. Dust off your fancy glasses and be sure to pair with a batch of Smoking Bishops (mulled wine), or your best scotch, rum, or cognac. (suggestions […]
The earliest recipe for bishop in English was published in Oxford in 1827 in a book called Oxford Nightcaps by Richard Cook. This little book seems to be the earliest in the English language which contains a recipe for the drink. In Cook’s Oxford version it is made with roasted lemon rather than bitter oranges. It was called plain bishop before Dickens added the adjective ‘smoking’ to give an atmosphere of a fuming bowl. I am sure that he was not referring to the drink’s name as Smoking Bishop, but the appellation stuck as A Christmas Carol grew in popularity. The drink was very popular in Germany and Scandinavia, where ceramic bishop mitre bowls were made. There is a Swedish recipe from 1755. There is much more about the true history of bishop and some other drinks on my blog – foodhistorjottings.blogspot.co.uk
awww… i love carrots..
Fat Bastard if I were you, he’s notorious for stealing mojos. — S
Now that Project Food Blog is over, you can focus on writing about all of the things you love and sharing with your readers. You do a fantastic job and I truly enjoy your posts. Every one in a while, the creative juices just don’t flow — just means it is time to take a break and come back to it later. The Roasted Carrots and Parsnips are just beautiful and perfect for the season. Happy Holidays!!!
I totally get the food blog blues thing and I didn’t just come off the food blog contest roller coaster. This roasted root dish is so me and I the colors perk up any down mood. Simple perfection, the way real people eat or should eat. New Year ahead, you’ll get your umph back and then some.
I love parsnips as well. I like to roast then in a bit of beef fat to add another dimension to them, especially if I am serving them with a steak. The beauty of parsnips is how they transform from a starchy vegetable to a hooey caramelized goodness.
Greg, you’ve been busy. You’re entitled to a little break, to recharge. I hope you get your blogging mojo back. Until then, simple dishes like this are fine by me. I don’t bother peeling carrots either and yes, they’re great w/ parsnips, roasted especially. Your last paragraph (before the ingredients) describes exactly how we enjoy these roasted veggies. 🙂
Getting back to ‘basics’ is always a place I turn when I start to feel the burnout and blahs.
And who could feel blah looking at that wonderful burnished orange color the carrots get after roasting in the oven?
The past few months you have been going non stop with blogging frenzy in competition. I say it’s time to get down to basics and back to the root of what Sippity Sip is all about (in 2011). Only you know what direction it will take you and we are happy to follow you on this journey.
Roast parsnips are just a little bit of heaven
Food blogs are definitely like babies, however, I would truly like to know where the father of mine is. Because if he could just come forward then we could get married and live happily ever after. And that would be nothing short of wonderful.
The fast track to perfection. That sounds wonderful. Roasted root veggies are definitely to be found there. Your photos are always wonderful, but are truly fantastic in this post! I’ve never seen roasted parsnips effuse such warmth.
so glad i found you! i was reading my latest food and wine and saw the article on your kitchen, very impressive and i can’t wait to look around, your photography is wonderful, must be all that beautiful sunshine, which is direly in need around her!
anne
http://www.anniebakes.net
Greg, you are still amazing even when you feel like you’ve lost your mojo! Carrots are my favorite vegetable and I’m always looking for simple yet delicious recipes on how to prepare them. Thank you so much for the recipe, I really can’t wait to make these roast carrots. Not only do I love carrots but I love parsnips too. I’ve never made them myself though so your tips on how to choose parsnips is extremely helpful. Once again I’m amazed at your gorgeous photos. You truly are one talented guy! 🙂
You’re more experienced at the blog world than I, but I find that after these phases of stagnation or burn out, something pops into my head and I come back invigorated.
Simple, gorgeous food at its best! I think you did a great job with this post. I wasn’t even in the FB contest and I have lost some of my mojo.:( It is incredibly hard work to keep up a blog. I totally understand your feelings.
Maybe we will all be renewed and refreshed after the holidays!
I agree, this post is spectacular. It’s freezing where I live and I’m in the mood for warm meals too!
This is the type of post you come up with when you can’t find your mojo? Wow. I’m just going to crawl under my table now.
you are fabulous when you don’t even try…it’s such human nature to let the negative aspcets of life pull us down- don’t forget my friend, it’s not just anyone who has an article about them in Food and Wine. you cook your parsnips and carrots the same way i do. sometimes i use herbes de provence and a drizzle of honey- love the color when they come out of the oven
It’s no wonder you’re feeling a bit “lazy” or uninspired because, no question, you sure put a lot of effort into Project Food Blog. Don’t worry about feeding us, we’re perfectly sated with all you’ve put forth recently.
I agree with you re carrots…though I used to peel them, I now only wash them. Parsnips with me is once in a blue moon thing. I like their gingery flavor but find them best in combination with other vegetables, live you’ve done.