Smurky

CLARIFIED MILK PUNCH

Name: CLARIFIED MILK PUNCH
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: YIELD: 1 QUART
Ingredients: 8 Earl Grey tea bags; 1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 cup ruby port; 4 fluid ounces aged dark rum (not spiced); 2 fluid ounces Allspice Dram (https://altonbrown.com/recipes/allspice-dram/); 2 fluid ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 cup whole milk

YIELD: 1 QUART

servings

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

active time

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours & 30

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

8 Earl Grey tea bags

1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup ruby port

4 fluid ounces aged dark rum (not spiced)

2 fluid ounces Allspice Dram (https://altonbrown.com/recipes/allspice-dram/)

2 fluid ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup whole milk

Directions

Heat 2 1/4 cups of water to 208°F. If you have an electric kettle with a temperature setting, great. If not, bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, kill the heat and count to 20. Pour the water over the teabags into a quart vessel and steep 3 minutes before removing the bags. (Do not wring out or squeeze the bags.)

Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir to dissolve. Then add the port, rum, Allspice Dram, and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

(3) Pour the milk into a glass pitcher and then follow with the tea mixture. (Yes, it will curdle.) Park on counter for 1 hour. Do not shake, stir or molest in any way. Just let the magic happen. Oh, and make sure the tea goes into the milk, not the other way around.

Line a large, fine-mesh sieve with a commercial-sized coffee filter (we like those made for 1.5-gallon machines) and strain the mixture into a wide, 4-quart container. Once completely filtered, typically about 1 hour, transfer to a quart jar or pitcher and chill to serve. (See note.)

5 Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Notes

This traditional English tipple has been around for hundreds of years; no wonder both Benjamin Franklin and Charles Dickens were milk punch fan. When properly produced, the punch is perfectly clear, with a lovely ruby tint, and a velvety texture on the tongue.

Why? Because we clarify it through milk which is curdled by the punch's acidity. The protein tangles of the curds filter out astringent-tasting

Specialized Hardware quart-sized glass jars electric kettle (optional) large sieve commercial-sized coffee filter glass pitcher 4-quart container