Peel into a saucepan the rinds of three lemons, cut very thin, and with as little as possible of the white coating between the peel and the fruit, attached
Add 100g of brown sugar, half a bottle of Portobello Road gin, quarter of a bottle of madeira, a teaspoon each of cinnamon and clove and grated nutmeg
Simmer this on a low heat until it’s starting to bubble
Then squeeze in the juice of the three lemons being sure to extract the pips
Stir the whole preparation well, cover it up for five minutes, and stir again
At this point you may taste
If not sweet enough, add sugar to your liking
Sieve through a muslin cloth
This can be done many days in advance and stored in a bottle in the refrigerator, then heated in a saucepan as and when needed
Serve in a heatproof glass or punch cup, being sure to warm the vessel before filling