COMMENT:
In New Orleans, Cafe Brulot is often served. Brulot in French means
spicy or burned with sugar. The recipe for this famous blending
of dark roasted Creole coffee with cognac or brandy and vermouth,
spiced with cinnamon and orange peel is attributed to Dominique
Youx, top lieutenant to the pirate, Jean Lafitte.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 small cinnamon sticks
- 1 1/2 ounces triple sec
- 1 ounce brandy
- 1 1/2 cups cafe noir
METHOD:
Every household in early New Orleans had its brulot bowl on the
buffet. A brulot bowl is any silver or copper bowl that can be heated
with sterno or candle flames from the bottom. Over your brulot bowl,
peel lemon in one continuous motion so that the peel is a long spiral.
Any juice from the lemon should fall directly into the bowl. Peel
orange in the same fashion. Once peeled, insert cloves into the
orange and lemon peels at one inch intervals. Into the brulot bowl,
place cinnamon stick, triple sec and brandy. Place a sterno or candle
under the bowl and bring the liquid to a slight simmer, stirring
constantly. Once the liquor is simmering, carefully ignite using
a kitchen match. A ribbon of golden blue flame may be achieved by
ladling the liquors into the air above the bowl. While the liquor
is flaming, hold the lemon and orange peels in the heat to "cook
out" the flavor. Slowly add hot coffee, pouring around the
edges of the bowl so that the sizzling sound may be heard. Continue
stirring until flame dies out. Squeeze a small amount of orange
and lemon juice into the bowl to naturally sweeten the coffee. Ladle
hot brulot into hot demi-tasse cups. |
