INGREDIENTS: Makes about 6-8 servings
	1 bottle (750 ml) sweet white wine
	3 large oranges
	1-2 cinnamon sticks
	2-4 whole cloves
	2-3 cardamom pods, crushed
	12 egg yolks
	1/2 cup/100 g/3 1/4 oz sugar
	2 tablespoons water
	6-8 ramekins (3/4 cup/175 ml/6 fl oz each)
	6-8 demitasse saucers

1. Heat the oven to 325° F/160° C/Gas 3. Pare the zest from 1 orange and cut into the thinnest possible julienne strips. Cut the pith and skin from the orange and remove 6 good-sized segments. Set them and the julienne aside for garnish. Grate the zest from the remaining two oranges.

2. Scald the wine with grated orange zest, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom pods, cover and leave over low heat to infuse 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until mixed. Stir the infused wine into the yolks and sugar, adding the hot wine slowly and stirring constantly so as not to curdle the yolks. Strain the custard into a pitcher and pour it into the ramekins. To ensure a smooth, shiny surface to the finished custard, cover each with a demitasse saucer as lid.

3. Set the ramekins in a roasting pan, and make a water bath by filling the pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bring the water to the boil on top of the stove, transfer the bath to the heated oven and cook until the custards are almost set, but still shiver in the center if shaken, 10-12 minutes. They will be less set than a milk custard, but will thicken as they cool. Take great care not to overcook, or they will curdle. Lift the custards out of the water bath and let them cool at room temperature. They keep well in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours but be sure to cover them.

4. Meanwhile candy the julienne of orange zest. Put the zest in a small pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then simmer very slowly, stirring occasionally, until the syrup has evaporated and the zests are candied and transparent, 5-7 minutes. Turn them onto wax paper, pull them apart with 2 forks, and leave to cool. Once cool, keep them tightly covered.

5. To finish, remove the lids and top each custard with a segment of orange and a pinch of candied orange zest, and serve chilled.

What Wine
To Cook and To Drink: The name of this dessert prompts me to suggest an orange muscat wine -- though the association is based more on name and color than on flavor. Orange muscat comes from Madera County in California's San Joaquin Valley and, like most muscats, its perfume is chiefly that of fresh-picked grapes. There are other muscats from California which will suffice, not to mention many from Australia, South Africa, France or Italy. Come to that, Romania, Greece and some of the former Soviet republics have a creditable line in muscats too.

This Recipe of the Month selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne Willan Cooking With Wine (2001) published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in association with COPIA: American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts.