Coffee is a great drink for sipping with food at any time of the day. Due to the massive variation of tastes and aromas coffee brings to the table, there is always one to go with your dish, whether it’s fruity, chocolate, nutty, spicy or herby. It has also been said to help with digestion after a meal, which is why it’s such a popular after meal drink. In the mid-nineties, the coffee wheel was created in an attempt to group the tastes and aromas of coffee, and tell you what foods can complement them.
Of course, we all know coffee goes down well with a slice of cake or a croissant, some great pairings below! However, chefs around the world have been using this tool to enable them to bring coffee beans into the kitchen in a different capacity. Using the bitterness of coffee to balance out and enhance dishes, adding a whole body of new flavours to a savoury dish. Like with drinking coffee, the roast has a big impact on the flavour and therefore which food it can be used in.
Who is doing it?
As we said earlier, chefs and keen home cooks will have been in the know since the nineties, but with the help of the social media burst in recent years it’s becoming more and more known. We are sure you have all seen the cooking tutorial videos clogging up your newsfeeds!
TIP: Save prep time by freezing some cubes of coffee to drop in your stock, stews or gravy.
Some recipes to try
Coffee is more than just a delicious beverage, it is a versatile ingredient that can be used in liquid or ground form and enhance your food as rub, in the sauce or dressing. Use grounds as a rub for a prime rib roast, add a splash to your chilli, stew or soup. Intrigued to try some yourself? We’re sure you are! As you may not find coffee dishes in many restaurants in your town, here are some good ones to try yourself at home.
Coffee Prime Rib Roast
“I know that coffee on steak sounds totally odd, but I promise, you do not even realize you are eating coffee. Just like coffee makes chocolate shine, it makes meat shine too.”
Espresso Brined & Sea Salted Chicken Drumettes
“These wings are brined in coffee then tossed in an espresso spice blend. Finish with a maple syrup glaze and you are set.”
Coffee Marinated Bison Short Ribs
Some more preparation is involved for this one, but looking at this picture it will be worth it!
Classic pairings
Coffee is known for its great pairings to the sweeter side of food. The bitterness of coffee balances out a sweet cake or pastry perfectly. So here’s some classics pairings for you, we recommend you try them all just to be sure you agree :-)
Cake:
Obviously there’s a huge variation here but a good rule to go by is chocolate cake suits a dark roasted Arabica coffee. Columbian coffee compliments the lighter cakes like carrot cake of a sponge.
Croissant:
Let’s stick with the experts here, the French know best. Café au lait with a croissant is the only way to do it. Cappuccino is my second choice, Italians know their coffee!
Biscotti:
Can be had with most variants of coffee, but commonly enjoyed with an espresso.
Doughnuts & Muffins:
Again, they lend themselves well to most coffees but specifically a smooth Costa Rican or Mexican coffee are well suited.
Have you cooked with coffee before or have a nice pairing combination you would like to share? Comment below or tweet us @WMFUK.
