- source from SCMP
Beyond brews, coffee beans can be used to season sweet and savoury foods and even alcohol. Here’s how to use them in ganache, gravy and more
As a seasoning, the coffee – whether whole beans (for a more subtle flavour) or ground – can be infused in liquids other than water. You can make flavoured alcohol by dropping whole beans into a bottle of vodka; over time, the vodka will absorb the coffee flavour.
For ganache (to make truffles or for use as a cake filling), you can infuse ground coffee in hot cream (which enriches the texture), then strain out the grounds before whisking the liquid into chocolate. If you want more flavour, mix the chocolate with strong, hot coffee that has been brewed the regular way.
For ice cream, it is better to infuse ground beans in cream; if you were to make coffee the regular way, the water could affect the texture and make the ice cream icy rather than smooth and rich.
Coffee can also be used as a seasoning in savoury dishes.
Red-eye gravy is made by whisking brewed coffee (instead of the usual water or broth) into a roux that is made with flour and the drippings of pan-fried breakfast meats (such as bacon, ham or sausage).
In more modern preparations, lamb loin is coated in finely ground coffee beans, salt and other seasonings before being pan-fried, and oxtail is braised in a coffee-based broth.
