ON COFFEE-MAKING.
It need scarcely be said that a cup of café noir constitutes the finish-ing touch of a nice little dinner. I think, therefore, that I may as well say a few words regarding its composition before I ask you to consider my menus ended.
Although few may think themselves ignorant of coffee-making. I question whether its real secrets are generally known. Indeed to judge by the stuff that we usually get, I think, we may say that the art is comparatively rare. First, to be sure, you must “catch your coffee,” i.e.:—get really good berries, and be willing to pay a good price for them. That done, the next thing to learn is the roasting, an opera-tion that should be conducted daily if you want well-flavoured coffee. The process is by no means as easy as many believe; half the coffee we drink is ruined by ignorant roasting; a burnt berry mark you, will spoil the whole brew. The best way, I think, to roast the berries is to stir them about in a small sauté-pan over a very low fire, doing them in relays, and passing them straight to the mill (a hand-mill is quite indispensable) from the pan. A tablespoonful of berries will be found quite enough at a time. Melt a little butter, just sufficient to lubricate the berries, and stir them about until they turn a light Havannah brown; if perchance a berry take a darker tint, throw it away as you would a reptile; grind them at once and make the coffee as soon afterwards as possible. In any circumstances keep the powder carefully secured from the air in a dry canister.
A little butter or salad oil is strongly recommended, it prevents the escape of much of the fragrance of the berry while roasting, and becomes quite dried up before the operation is finished. The custom in many kitchens is to bake, often to over-bake, the berries in the oven. The result is a leaden tinted liquid, acrid in flavour, and repulsive to look upon.
Having ground the coffee properly—it should be rich in aroma, and of a beautiful rich snuff colour—the best coffee-pot to use, after all, is the old percolator. Be liberal with the coffee (a tablespoonful for each person), heat it for a minute in the oven or in front of the fire, also heat the coffee-pot thoroughly, fill the upper chamber of the percolator according to your requirements, ram the hot coffee powder
down firmly, and having previously measured the amount of coffee liquid you require, pour boiling water, according to that measurement, in teaspoonfuls at a time, through the upper strainer upon the powder. The slower the water is added, the more thoroughly the coffee will become soaked, and, the dripping being retarded, the essence will be as strong as possible. As soon as the coffee has run through, pour the rich essence you have obtained into your cups, and for café au lait fill them up with boiling milk, for café noir with a little boiling water. Let the coffee-pot stand in a shallow vessel containing boiling water during the process. In this way the liquid can be kept hot without deterioration for some little time. It does not do to heat up cold coffee.
N.B.—Hutchinson’s patent coffee-pot (percolator) is an improvement upon the old vessel, making very good coffee without ramming, and producing the liquid quicker. It is furnished with a flannel strainer, and the passing through of the coffee liquid is regulated by a tap.
It is usual of course to pass round a flask of fine champagne cognac, with the coffee, but as some like kummel, some maraschino, and some kirsch, those liqueurs may also be presented. To enjoy coffee thoroughly neither milk nor sugar should be taken with it.
There are, to be sure, other ways of making good coffee, boiling the powder being adopted instead of the infusion. The Turkish system much praised by travellers may be thus described:—The roasting having been conducted with all the care I have already indicated, the berries are cast into a large metal mortar, and pounded to a very fine powder. This is carefully sifted through a fine sieve, all coarse particles being rejected. As much water as is wanted is then boiled in a small copper can, having a narrow neck and broad bottom. When the water boils powdered coffee is added, off the fire, according to requirements, and the can is replaced on the fire. The liquid is now permitted to come to the boil three times, the can after each occasion of ebullition being taken off the fire for a while. After the third boiling up, the can is placed for a minute in a shallow vessel containing cold water, to precipitate the grounds, after which the coffee—clear, black, and strong—is poured into the cup. For this I have to thank General H. My whose experience enables him to speak with authority. Turkish coffee is presented to you in London made in little cans too wide at the neck and not broad enough at the bottom. Those who like purée de café no doubt enjoy this beverage, for no steps are taken apparently to precipitate the grounds.