Breakfast-Summer Espresso
People who know me will know I shun flavoured coffee. You know the stuff I mean: the ‘hazlenut’ or ‘vanilla’ flavoured muck Inglorious Geans and the like sell.
But this is different.
I dropped into to Deans the other day and Liam offered me a coffee. He handed me a single shot short black, but there was something in the bottom.
It was half a teaspoon of marmalade.
Yep, that’s what I said.
But I tell you, that was one fantastic drink!
The coffee was a good Yirgacheffe, and the marmalade bought a wonderful, syrupy tang to the classic Yirg citrus zing.
So I tried it today at home (see the photos below), on a very warm spring day and it was a delightful summery coffee. Especially as the marmalade was my Mum’s wonderful home-made cumquat marmalade that has a real zing.
The coffee was initially my house blend, but later I tried it with a shot of Mt Gabbana Forest Estate Limu. Just gorgeous.
It works best with between half and three-quarters of a teaspoon of marmalade in the bottom of the cup (or glass), pull shot as normal, swirl the coffee and/or use a small spoon to mix the marmalade.
You seriously have to try this
As it turned out, I had just got a set of these gorgeous Bodum Pavina double walled demitasse glasses, and so the tasting session turned into a photo shoot as well (courtesy of son Sam)
(click image for a bigger version):
13 Comments for Breakfast-Summer Espresso
November 20th 2008
8:22 PM AEDST
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Intriguing – I shall have to acquire some marmalade … or perhaps make some … I’ve always wanted to get into making preserves.
I just got some of the Bodum Assam 3 oz dual-walled glasses today – they were $10/pair in a local housewares shop. The Pavina are much more classy, but they had none of them on offer.
Michelle · Sep 19, 09:31 PMYeah the Assam are nice too – if you want the Pavina’s, this is the cheapest source I found and they are very prompt too.
Neil · Sep 19, 11:10 PMThat’s what I love about reading other peoples coffee experiences. Who would’a thought “Marmalade” of all things!
I suppose it’s got to be better than egg shells or fish scales hey Neil ;-).
A little OT but, is that a Minore-II with the Naked P/F I see before my eyes? (set to 92 degrees – great minds think alike) – Does the naked P/F fit okay into the slanted group head? I have wanted to get myself one for a while but have not been game enough incase the grouphead gets damaged somehow, so I have just been using the standard issue P/F on my Minore-II.
Happy Sipping
Ps: Just finished roasting my last batch of your Yirg, wow that’s impressive stuff!
Steve · Sep 21, 10:42 AMHey Steve,
Actually, when you think about it, marmalade is one of the (many) flavours that can present itself in coffee. I’m sure I detected some in an early cupping of the Mt Gabbana Limu…
Yep, it’s a Minore – but the I not the II.
Three years young and with around 13,000 shots on the clock. The naked pf is just one of the standard E61 compatible handles that I cut the bum out off. So there’s no issue of any damage to anything. As far as the grouphead is concerned, it’s a normal pf.
I did it the hole saw job a couple of years ago and have rarely used anything else since.
It gives such good instant feedback on the state of the shot, and I never grow tired of watching the initial blobs of coffee appear from the basket. ;-)
If you are interested, I blogged the hole cutting ceremony here and there’s a fair bit about Morris (the Minore) around the blog – including details of the rotary pump conversion I had done, starting here
Cheers
Neil · Sep 21, 02:32 PMNeil! Wow and Wow! Really?! Ok, I guess I’m just gonna have to try it. Admittedly one of my fave’s with coffee in the morning is of the Jam variety – but on toast not in my coffee! Ok, gonna have to try that one.
Dan Yee · Sep 22, 11:30 AMCool thanks for the link / idea Neil, I will give it a try… the naked P/F that is, not the marmalade :-) I will just take your word for it.
Steve · Sep 22, 08:50 PMHi Neil,
I have had a pair of the Bodum for some time now. They are my ‘go to’ glasses when I have a friend over who appreciates espresso neat.
Their ability to maintain the heat of the shot is phenomenal. I have burnt my tongue several times when using these beauties simply because I had forgotten how quickly espresso cools in my other glasses.
Nice photos too though cleaning your glasses might have made for something a little prettier… :)
Cheers, C
Chris · Sep 27, 07:13 AMHi Neil
Orange and coffee, two of my favorite flavours. Who would have thought of combining the two?
It just so happened we had some homemade marmalade and the Pavina glasses so I gave the combo a try this morning.
My good wife was a bit sceptical that it would be too sweet, but no, the tart orange flavour is a great adjunct to the coffee.
A great find! Does it have a name? If not lets come up with one.
Cheers
Brian · Sep 27, 03:24 PMBrian
Hey Brian,
I’m tempted to name it after a childhood favourite – Paddington Bear – who’s favourite food was marmalade. ;-)
@Chris,
Neil · Sep 27, 06:34 PMThere was only one stray fingerprint for goodness sake! Anything else is simply the contents or condensation! :P
Curiosity got the better of me, I HAD to give it a go… especially because “all the cool kids are doing it” :-).
My suspicions were confirmed, although perhaps its my unexperienced palate or the fact I rarely drink straight espresso? My shot tasted a little too “curdled” for me to enjoy.
Steve · Sep 28, 10:41 AMAh – there’s the rub Steve!
You have to be comfortable with/enjoy short blacks for this variation to work. ;-)
But even allowing for that, ‘curdled’ seems an unusual choice of words. I would normally associate curdled with off milk…
Neil · Sep 28, 10:43 AMNo worries Neil,
You can blame my anal obsession of cleanliness on my mother :)
However the photo inquestion was a close up of the glass with the jam in the bottom (only). Dirty I say!!!! Look no further than the coffee sludge on the rim of the glass.
Dear Watson I rest my case :)
Chris · Sep 28, 04:29 PMHey Neil,
Luke · Oct 3, 07:01 PMOn my triumphant return to your website this was the first thing to catch my eye. It reminded me of a friend who served me a Doppio over a piece of semi-dried orange peel(without the yucky white part).
Like many i was a bit thrown off by it but i’ll give anything a go if it contains coffee!
Too my surprise….. it was enjoyable.
Just something else to keep in mind for all those out there?