Vin Dorange Recipes

VIN D'ORANGE

Steps:

• Slice the citrus in thick wheels and place it in a clean container (glass or hard plastic) with a wide mouth and a tight-fitting lid. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, the rosé and the vodka.
• Stir this well with a spoon (not wooden, as it may harbor bacteria that could inhibit fermentation) and fasten the lid. Keep the jar in the refrigerator, shaking occasionally to dissolve the sugar. After about 6 weeks, mix in 1/4 cup dark rum and strain everything through a fine strainer or several layers of cheesecloth. Store in bottles at a cool room temperature or in the refrigerator; it will last indefinitely.

VIN D'ORANGE (ORANGE WINE)

Steps:

• 1. Place the orange skins, wine, vodka, coffee beans and the vanilla beans in a non-reactive bowl. Add half the sugar and stir.
• 2. Place the remaining half of the sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and let it caramelize to a deep golden, rotating the pan from time to time to make sure all of the sugar caramelizes evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the caramel into the bowl holding the oranges and the liquid, being careful to pour slowly so that the caramel doesn't get on your skin. The caramelized sugar will immediately turn hard, but don't be concerned. It will eventually melt into the liquid.
• 3. Cover the bowl and let sit for six days, stirring several times a day.
• 4. Strain the wine through three thicknesses of cheesecloth and decant into bottles. Cork the bottles and let them sit for at least 1 month and up to 1 year before opening.

VIN D'ORANGE

Steps:

• In a large glass jar, mix together the sugar, white wine, and vodka until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange and lemon quarters. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the jar, then drop in the pod. Cover, and let stand undisturbed for 1 month in a cool, dark place.
• After 1 month, remove and discard the fruit; remove the vanilla pod (it can rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose; see page 14). Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a coffee filter, then funnel the vin d'orange into clean bottles. Cork tightly and refrigerate.
• Serve over ice in small glasses with a twist of orange or lemon zest.
• Vin d'orange will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.
• Although vin d'orange is usually made with sour oranges, if you can find only regular oranges, try this version, which is also quicker: In a large glass jar, mix together 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar; 1/2 cup (125 ml) vodka; one bottle (750 ml) rosé wine; 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; and 1 cinnamon stick. Add 2 navel oranges and 1 lemon, each quartered. Cover and let stand in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks, shaking every few days. Strain through cheesecloth and funnel into clean bottles.

VIN D'ORANGE PUNCH

Steps:

• Stir together wine, vodka, vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon sticks, sugar, citrus slices, and cloves in a large nonreactive container. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 week.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel into an ice-filled punch bowl; discard solids. Add ginger ale, garnish with citrus rounds, and serve immediately.