Cumberlandsoße

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small whisk
• •Fine zester or sharp paring knife
• •Mixing bowl
• •Small covered jar or bowl for resting

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the peel

   Wash the orange and lemon well, then cut off only the coloured zest and slice it into very fine threads. Leave the white pith behind because it gives bitterness without perfume, and this sauce needs the clean oil from the peel, not the punishment underneath.

   Use unwaxed fruit. If the peel is waxed, scrub it hard in hot water first, because the zest is part of the sauce and goes straight into the bowl.
2. 2

   Soften the shallot

   Mince the shallot very fine, rinse it for ten seconds under cold water, and drain it well. The rinse takes off the raw onion bite but leaves the quiet sharpness, so the sauce tastes clean beside game and cold roast instead of smelling like a salad bowl.

3. 3

   Loosen the jelly

   Put the redcurrant jelly in a bowl and whisk it hard until it breaks up, then add the port a spoonful at a time. Do not heat it. Warm jelly melts fast, yes, and then sets dull and sticky; cold whisking keeps the sauce bright and spoonable.

4. 4

   Add the sharp things

   Whisk in the orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, ginger, cayenne, and salt, then stir in the citrus zest and shallot. Taste now, not later from memory. If the jelly is sweet like boiled sweets, add the teaspoon of red wine vinegar; if it is already tart, leave it alone. Würzen, Fett, Salz zum Schluss: the balance happens at the end.

5. 5

   Rest overnight

   Cover the sauce and refrigerate it at least eight hours, overnight if you have sense. The peel gives its oil, the mustard settles into the fruit, and the port stops tasting like it was poured in five minutes ago. Stir before serving and set it down cold with game, cold roast pork, ham, or pâté. Nicht aus dem Glas.

Chef Tips

• •Use redcurrant jelly, not redcurrant jam. Jelly gives a clear ruby sauce; jam brings seeds and fruit pulp, and then you've made a spoon jam with mustard in it.
• •Port matters because it brings dark fruit and tannin. If you don't use alcohol, use unsweetened red grape juice plus one teaspoon red wine vinegar, but taste harder because grape juice is sweeter than port.
• •Cut the citrus zest into threads if you want the old buffet look, or grate it fine if you want a smoother sauce. The reason is texture, not manners.
• •Serve it cold with venison, cold roast beef, roast pork, ham, liver pâté, or a winter Terrine. It is too sharp for delicate fish and too sweet for a hot pan gravy.
• •Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Stir before serving because cold jelly sauce relaxes unevenly, and a quick whisk brings back the gloss.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the sauce the day before serving. The overnight rest is where the citrus peel and port become one sauce instead of separate ingredients.
• •If serving on a buffet, keep it chilled until close to the meal, then set out a small bowl and refill it from the refrigerator. Cold sauce beside cold roast is the point.
• •Leftovers keep up to five days covered in the refrigerator and are good on rye bread with cold pork or ham. Weggeworfen wird nichts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)