Smooth As a Baby's....

Recently I read a NY Times Magazine article and heard on NPR about a style of coffee indigenous to New Orleans and is growing in popularity among gourmet coffee vendors and coffee enthusiasts (which I'm not, but I'm hooked nonetheless). Simply called "coffee concentrate," this drink is as New Orleans as Jambalaya and Jazz.

Concocting it was easy: 1 lb of grounded coffee and 10 cups of cold filtered water. Let sit for 12 hours. Sieve and serve.

The process of making this drink, however, is not glamorous at all. If anything, it looked a bit sketchy. When I peeked into the stockpot that we put the grounds and water in, all I saw was black liquid glistening from the grounds floating on top. I half expected some flies to emerge through the goop and buzz past the lid of the pot. The next morning, I double sieved the mixture and transfered it into a pitcher. Apparently it keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

I was very reluctant to try this so, naturally, I poured Danny a glass first. I filled a glass with ice, filled it 1/3 with the black liquid, and 2/3 with milk.

"Is it good?"
"It's good."
"Good-good or good-I'm-glad-I-didn't vomit?"
"Good-good."

Indeed, it was good. What you get is a rich, robust, rounded (running out of R's...) coffee that also packed a punch of caffeine. I learned from the NY Times article that this method of making coffee eliminates the release of oils and acid caused by heat. It's smooth as a baby's bottom. Usually I can only drink a cup of regular coffee before I feel my GI burning from the acid. With this, I can drink two glasses without any complaint and only realize that I should probably stop when I eye starts twitching.

It's a perfect summer porch beverage but if you hate iced coffee, you can add hot milk/water and drink it that way.

Talking to someone who went to college at Tulane, I was also told that a popular way to drink coffee concentrate is with chicory flavored coffee. I haven't a clue what chicory tastes like but it sounds like it would add some smokiness.


Here's the NYT recipe:

New Orleans Cold Drip Coffee

adapted from Blue Bottle Coffee company

makes 8 cups coffee concentrate

1 pound dark roast coffee and chicory, medium ground

10 cups cold water

Ice

Milk.

1. Put coffee in a nonreactive container, like a stainless-steel stockpot. Add 2 cups water, stirring gently to wet the grounds, then add remaining 8 cups water, agitating the grounds as little as possible. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 12 hours.

2. Strain coffee concentrate through a medium sieve, then again through a fine-mesh sieve.

3. To make iced coffee, fill a glass with ice, add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate and 3/4 to 1 cup milk, then stir. To make café au lait, warm 3/4 to 1 cup milk in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into a mug and add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate. (Concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)