Let’s talk about coffee
A silky cuppa Turkish coffee at the lovely Ibrik cafe in Montmartre (Paris). As side note - highly recommend this cafe - not least for it’s amazing Persian Love Cake.
For many of us, the beginning of our day is coffee. So, it seems the perfect place to start this blog.
I admit I am a relatively late convert to the bitter brew. But you know what they say about converts - they tend to be zealots. And I am zealous and evangelical when it comes to the indulgence of my morning espresso ritual. It is the "best part of waking up" - sitting on my couch with a small cup of (dark dark) espresso, sweetened with the slightest touch of creamed honey and sometimes with a sliver of orange peel ( or just a dash of orange bitters) and square of dark chocolate.
I told you it was indulgent.
I should start by saying that I like my espresso black. I am afraid that when you hear "black," you might mistake me and think I mean dark brown. No, I mean black: a deep black, viscous black. Something that, if the last sip is left out for a few hours, could be mistaken for a primordial tar or some other seeping, infernal creation.
Allow me to illustrate:
That extra viscous, syrup on the spoon comes from the honey
So, how is this level of diabolic concentration achieved? Trial and error.
First, of course, the roast and coffee bean or brand you chose will be determinative. I favor (surprise, surprise!) a darker roast, with my go-to's being Lavazza and Stumptown (Hair Bender).
This is a ristretto-style espresso. Ristretto means "shortened" or "restricted" in Italian and is a concentrated espresso. This leads to a more intense flavor and tends to be slightly sweeter, rounder, and less bitter than a "lungo" ("long") espresso. This effect is created by (even finer) coffee grounds and using less water over a shorter period.
First, a disclaimer: I do not know if one can, strictly speaking, make a real ristretto shot with out barista-style equipment, but I am satisfied with my approximation with my trusty Bialetti Moka pot. This process is basically using finer grounds than espresso (crank your grinding machine to just before 'Turkish'), packing the funnel with just a little more grounds than usual and not using as much water, which in this case means not brewing for as long. I fill it with as much water as a regular espresso - but I take it off the hob when there is about 1/3 to a 1/4 of the water remaining "unbrewed."
Let's run through the process in a little more detail.
Ristretto Style Espresso with a Moka Pot
Fill the Moka pot with water to just below the safety valve (in the illustration below this is helpfully tagged with an arrow)
Fill the funnel with your coffee grinds. I fill it so that it is a gentle curve above the funnel. This gets tamped down when you screw on the top of the Moka pot.
Screw on the top of the Moka pot tight (if you are having trouble screwing it on - make sure that the groves are aligned).
Put it on high on the stovetop, reducing to medium after 2-3 minutes (or just before it starts to sputter). Depending on the heat level, it will sputter up after about 3-5 minutes.
While you can keep the pot's lid open throughout - I don't recommend this. Not because a "watched pot doesn't boil" - but because the sputtering up coffee makes a mess. And the espresso that comes out of the top spigot has range. You will know when it comes to boil - the pot will gurgle and hiss.
Take the pot off the hob when it is about 2/3rds through. Pour out and (when the pot is cool again) discard grinds and remaining water.
I sweeten with a small dollop of creamed or creamy-style honey (Langnese Creamy Country Honey and Breitsamer Rapsflower Blossom Raw Honey are my faves). I flavor with a bit of clementine orange peel and a small bite of dark chocolate as an optional side.
I enjoy and protect this morning ritual. Despite the caffeine, it helps me to practice a more "slow" start to the work day. Except on the 'craziest' work days, I enjoy a good ten (okay, more like fifteen) minutes on my couch savoring my coffee, reflecting on the day ahead, or, more often, flipping through my news feed (including the gossip rags - another #indulgence!).
The best part of waking up, indeed.
-Tina
References and Resources
I came to coffee later in life (like…after law school late) so my journey has been by replication, trial and error and “I know what I like” as opposed to actual erudition. So here are two resources I have found helpful.
Kate MacDonald at Coffee Affection has a great run down on the differences between espresso and ristretto.
Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science (Le Café, C’est pas Sorcier) - I came upon this book at Hexagon cafe, one of my favorite coffee shops in Paris(and for a month my neighborhood coffee shop). I believe that the barista or owner there is one of the writers - but further investigation is needed. (I will say that he made some of the best coffee ever - although that may also have been influenced by the amazing granola and yoghurt I ate with the coffee).