Cumberland sauce is a savory English sauce based on red currant jelly, mustard, pepper, orange zest and Port wine.
It is thought to date from the nineteenth century; among the conjectured origins of its name are a dedication to a Duke of Cumberland or a reference to the county of the same name where it may have originated.
The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “a sauce served especially with cold meat”; it pairs well with meat and poultry. It is often served with lamb and ham.
A Polish variant omits mustard and wine, adds horseradish and fries the orange peel before adding it to the mixture.
The New Zealand version adds grated beetroot.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: English
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Cumberland sauce:
- 1 cup (about 9 oz / 250 g) red currant jelly
- 1 tsp mustard
- 2 oranges (juice and zest)
- 3/4 cup (200 ml) Port
- to taste salt and pepper
Steps
Boil the orange peels cut into matchsticks in 3 tbsp + 1 tsp (50 ml) of water until the liquid is absorbed.
Place all the ingredients (except the orange peels) in a saucepan and reduce until thickened (about 30 minutes).
Serve with the orange strips.
When sealed and refrigerated, it will keep for up to one week.
Cumberland is one of the 39 historic counties located in the north-west of England. The eponymous sauce is also available ready-made in jars.
The county is also famous for the Cumberland sausage, typically made with minced pork seasoned with pepper, thyme, sage, nutmeg and cayenne pepper, and bound with a little toasted bread.
Traditionally, no artificial colorings or preservatives are added.
