Recipe: Shelf life and Recipes - Port Wine Chocolate Cake, Cherry-Port Wine Jam, Port Wine Cheese Spread, Lamb with Port Sauce, Port Wine Sauce, Baked Fish with Port Wine Sauce

Port styles have various shelf lives after being opened. Re-cork all bottles immediately after serving and store in a cool place. In general, the older the port the shorter the shelf life after opening. Use this as a guide:

Vintage Port and Quinta dos Canais should be consumed within 24 hours of opening the bottle.
Fine Ruby, Fine Tawny, Special Reserve and Anno Late Bottled Vintage should be consumed within 5-6 weeks after opening.
Aged Tawnies should be consumed within 5-10 days after opening

PORT WINE CHOCOLATE CAKE

10 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup port wine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 cup port wine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler, melt unsweetened chocolate and 3/4 cup butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch Bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar together with an electric mixer on High speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in the 3/4 cup of port wine and flour. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture.

In a clean bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons sugar, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Quickly fold in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until tested done with a toothpick. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely.

GLAZE:
In the top of a double boiler, over lightly simmering water, combine chocolate chips, 1/2 cup butter and corn syrup. Stir frequently until chocolate is melted. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup port wine and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for about 30 minutes. Pour glaze over the cooled cake.

CHERRY-PORT WINE JAM

Prepare the cherries according a reliable/favourite recipe for cherry jam.
Remove 1/3 cup liquid from the prepared cherries.
Prepare the jam according to the recipe but at the end of the final cooking time, stir in 1/3 cup port wine.
Jar, seal, and process per the recipe (5 minutes in a boiling water bath should do it.)

PORT WINE SAUCE (for Plum/Fruit Pudding)

3 tbsp. cornstarch
2 c. cold water
3/4 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. port wine

Mix cornstarch with a little of the water to make a paste. Stir in remainder of water. Cook in a saucepan, stirring until boiling -- the cornstarch will turn clear when ready.
Add port wine but DO NOT BOIL once the alcohol is added. Serve hot.

PORT WINE CHEESE SPREAD

1/2 cup port wine
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

In a small bowl, combine wine and butter. In a food processor or blender, combine cheese, sour cream, salt, and cayenne. Process until smooth. With motor running, gradually add wine mixture, blending until smooth. Store in airtight container and refrigerate 24 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve with crackers. Makes about 4 cups.

LAMB WITH PORT SAUCE

4 to 5-pound boneless leg of lamb, rolled, tied, and trimmed of excess fat
4 to6 cloves garlic, cut in half
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup ruby port wine
Port Sauce:
1 cup ruby port wine
1 tablespoon butter

To prepare leg of lamb, cut 1-inch slits on all sides of the lamb. Insert garlic halves into the slits and weave rosemary sprigs in the string used to tie the lamb. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lamb into a deep baking pan; pour port wine over lamb. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight (best overnight).
Preheat oven to 325F. Remove lamb from marinade and place onto a rack in a shallow baking pan; place in the lower half of the oven. Bake, uncovered, approximately 2 hours: see below. Baste with marinade every 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving. During this time the meat continues to cook.
To serve, transfer sliced lamb onto a serving platter and drizzle Port Sauce over meat. Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
>>Using a meat thermometer;
Rare - 120 F
Medium Rare - 125 F
Medium - 130 F

PORT WINE SAUCE:
Add wine to drippings in baking pan and heat over medium-high heat, scraping loose browned bits on the bottom of the baking pan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until sauce is reduced to the consistency of heavy cream. (If it is reduced too much, use more port wine to make sauce the desired consistency.) Remove from heat. Just before serving, whisk in butter until blended.

PEIXE OPORTO (baked fish with port wine sauce)

1 1/2 lb Sea bream or other suitable white fish
Paprika
Salt
2/3 c Port wine
2 Egg yolks
1 tb Cream
1 oz Butter

Prepare the fish and season with salt and paprika. Bake it with the butter in a covered fireproof dish in a moderate oven 350 deg. F for 5 minutes. Add the port wine and continue cooking until the fish is tender - 15 to 20 minutes. Strain of the liquor from the dish and cook quickly in a saucepan to reduce it a little. Cool and beat in the egg yolks add the cream and reheat very gently but do not bring to the simmering point. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with Savory Rice (opt.) Source: the complete book of World Cookery Crescent Books Inc. A Division of Crown Publishers Inc. 419 Park Avenue South New York NY 10016 ISBN 7064 0023 2 1972 - 4 servings