Café Brulot
This spicy after dinner drink has long been a favorite in traditional
New Orleans
restaurants. It gets its name from the French for “burnt brandy.” In New Orleans, it is usually prepared in an elaborate tableside ritual, with the server pouring the flaming mixture through the citrus peel into the serving glass, which is often decorated with a picture of the devil, as another name for this drink is “café diabolique.”
Serves 2
Ingredients
¼ cup cognac
1 — 2 dashes triple sec
2 cups very strong, hot coffee
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar
Whipped cream, to garnish (optional)
Preparation
Brew 2 cups of strong coffee and keep very hot. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix the cognac, triple sec, citrus zests, cloves, cinnamon stick, and sugar. Gently heat the mixture on the stove to release the flavors of the spices and citrus zests, just until small bubbles appear at the edges. Do not bring to a boil. Flambé the liqueur mixture, remove from the heat, and stir gently.
[Chef’s Note: The purpose of flambé is to quickly envelop a dish containing alcohol in flames, which burns off the alcohol and develops a richer flavor in the liqueur(s). It is important that the liquids in the pan be below the boiling point, so once small bubbles appear at the edge of the pan you are ready to flambé. Use a long match or grill lighter, and introduce the flame to the edge of the pan rather than the liquid itself. The vapors should ignite immediately. Once the alcohol has burned off, turn off the heat, stir gently, and serve.]
Service
Prepare the two cups of hot coffee. Filter the cognac mixture through a cheesecloth or fine sieve, pour it over the coffee, and decorate with whipped cream and an additional lemon or orange twist, if desired.
Thai Iced Coffee
This sweet treat can easily take the place of dessert at the end of a spicy meal, offering a refreshing finish for the palate.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Ground coffee (enough to brew 4 cups)
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
4 cardamom pods, crushed
Sugar, to taste
Heavy cream
Ice
Preparation
Mix the ground coriander and cardamom pods with ground coffee and brew 4 cups as you normally would, then allow to cool. In each of 4 tall glasses, dissolve 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar in a little of the cooled coffee. Add several ice cubes and the rest of the coffee, leaving an inch or so at the top of each glass. Holding a spoon over the glass, rounded (bottom) side up, slowly pour the cream over the spoon and into the glass so it floats on top of the coffee.
Serve immediately.
[Chef’s Notes: When crushing cardamom pods, we suggest wrapping them in a piece of cling film or putting them in a zip-top baggie, then giving them a few good strikes on a wooden cutting board with a kitchen mallet, hammer, or cast—iron pan. This is also an excellent stress reliever.
For a lighter drink, you can substitute evaporated milk for the heavy cream; for a more authentically Southeast Asian taste, use sweetened condensed milk. For a stronger drink, use double-strength espresso.]
Recipes by Mark Tafoya
Photo by Kelly Cline
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