Coffee is an amazing ingredient for desserts. But what about using it in your savory recipes? Read on and discover how to do that.
Ho to make and where to use coffee reduction?
You already know that coffee is an ingredient that can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Some ways of using coffee are very easy, some others require a little more of kitchen expertise. But we are here for all of them. Here a few ways you can use coffee in savory preparations:
- Make a coffee sauce! You can find the recipe in this article on our blog
- Coffee reduction: you’ll learn how in this article
- By using coffee powder: stay tuned for more articles to come about this subject in the future!
The recipe for your coffee reduction
The most difficult part of this recipe will be when you thicken the reduction by having the liquid part to evaporate. Other than that, you won’t be needing much.
Ingredients:
- 3 espresso shots
- Sugar: 4 tbs
- Still water ¾ cup
- Salt
The best coffee for this recipe will be our Caffè Aiello Classic blend, whether you prefer to have it in pods or in its ground format.
Procedure:
- In a small pot, pour the espresso shots
- Add in the sugar while stirring. Keep going until the sugar has melted
- Pour the water in and place the pot on the stove (medium heat)
- Let it simmer for 5 minutes, then start stirring and turn the heat down a little. Never use a lid in this phase, as you want the water to evaporate
- When the reduction process actually starts to happen, leave it there for 10 minutes and stir the reduction
- It’s almost done: when your reduction has reached the desired texture and thickness, it’s ready to go.
Unsure about the thickness?
You want your reduction to be halfway between a sauce and a jelly texture.
To make sure about the perfect level thickness you can use this method by using a spoon. Scoop up a little quantity or reduction and let it go down the convex side of the spoon. If it goes slowly you are ok. If it goes too fast it’s because it’s still too liquid, and if doesn’t move, you’ve gone too far with the reduction process!
Use the coffee reduction on meat or fish preparations
Whether you are a meat or fish person, you can pick a lot of main courses where the coffe reduction can be used. Possible pairings are a lot, be we’d like to suggest some.
Easy recipes to pair with coffee reduction:
- Pork or veal, roasted
- Beef fillet
- Grilled/ roasted chicken
- Grilled/roasted king prawns
- Salmon fillet
- Sea Bass fillet
Not-so-easy recipes to pair with coffee reduction:
- Roasted/grilled/sautéed quail
- Meat tartare
- Grilled/Roasted guineafowl
- Roasted Cuttlefish
- Raw Oysters
- Blanches sea urchins
- Fish tartare
You can serve the reduction in a small saucer next to the main dish or you can directly drizzle it on the plate. Remember that reductions per se have a very strong taste, so if you chose to serve it directly on the dish, remember not to put too much of it. Consider a tbs per serving to be enough.
Let us know how your coffee reduction comes out, we really want to know!
