On 2013-12-10 20:02:52 +0000, Wayne Boatwright said:

> On Tue 10 Dec 2013 11:09:56a, sf told us...
>
>> On 10 Dec 2013 15:10:33 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> If I bake a ham, I
>>> always make my own version of a raisin/cumberland sauce to be
>>> served hot in a gravy boat. If you'd like the sauce recipe, I'll
>>> be glad to post it.
>>
>> I bet that's similar to the raisin sauce Gary likes, would you
>> please post your version? I did find this at Serious Eats (the
>> idea of using cranberries instead of currants is appealing):
>>
>> And while there is no one true recipe for Cumberland, it always
>> has at least the following:
>>
>> - Red currants, either in jelly or syrup or as whole fruits. You
>> can substitute other tart red fruit, however, and I’ve used
>> cranberries, highbush cranberries, lingonberries and even
>> raspberries with good results.
>>
>> - Red wine or Port. No substitute, so if you cannot use alcohol in
>> your cooking, you are out of luck. You can make a facsimile of
>> Cumberland without wine, but it will not be the same sauce.
>> Citrus. Most recipes have either lemon or orange zest plus some
>> juice, too. If you can ever get your hands on bitter Seville
>> oranges, they are what was historically used.
>>
>> - Meat stock. As we just saw, the oldest versions of Cumberland
>> don’t have this, but the addition of meat stock — especially
>> demi-glace or glace de viande – adds a lot to the flavor. If you
>> don’t have demi, use regular stock and boil it down. Only be very
>> careful about any other salt in the sauce, as the boiled-down
>> stock will get very salty.
>>
>> - Spices. English dry mustard (Coleman’s) is almost always used,
>> and so is freshly ground black pepper. And I mean freshly ground:
>> It makes a difference in this case, as black pepper is one of the
>> primary flavors in this sauce. A lot of recipes also add a pinch
>> of cayenne pepper. This might sound modern, but keep in mind that
>> cayenne starts appearing in European food as early as the 1600s.
>> The iconic French chef Auguste Escoffier added ground ginger to
>> his version of Cumberland.
>>
>
> I love what you posted about Cumberland Sauce. That's to keep!
>
> Here's what I do...
>
> 1 c Brown sugar, firmly packed
> 1/2 c red wine or hot water
> 1 c Seedless raisins or dried currants (or a mix of both)
> 2 tb Butter
> 4 tb Cider vinegar
> 1 1/2 ts Worcestershire sauce
> 1/2 ts Salt
> 1/48 ts Black pepper, freshly ground
> 1 ts dry mustard
> 1/4 ts Ground cloves
> 1/8 ts Mace
> 1 c Currant jelly
>
> Simmer the brown sugar and water together for 5 minutes, stirring until
> sugar is dissolved. Add all remaining ingredients, and cook until
> jelly dissolves. Simmer an additional 10 minutes. May be made in
> advance and kept refrigerated until ready for use. Reheat slowly until
> simmering.
>
> (If I use both raisins and dried currants, I use white raisins.)
>
> I've been making this since 1994.

Hmm. Makes me want ham. Do you serve it with anythin else?