12 May 2018

Allspice Institute creates Cafédirect-inspired recipes

The chefs at Allspice Institute who were involved in creating coffee-based recipes with Cafédirect coffee blends.
The chefs at Allspice Institute who were involved in creating coffee-based recipes with Cafédirect coffee blends. 

Cafédirect, the UK drinks company, presented a number of coffee-based recipes created by the Allspice Institute, a heritage culinary and cooking school, when it launched new packaging for its Smooth, Lively and Intense Roast Coffees.

Chef Sakthi adding coffee grounds to the saucepan ahead of smoking the cooked chicken for coffee smoked tandoori chicken.
Chef Sakthi adding coffee grounds to the saucepan ahead of
smoking the cooked chicken for coffee smoked tandoori
chicken.
At the launch event, Chef Sakthivel Karuppiah, COO, Allspice, used coffee in two ways to prepare coffee smoked tandoori chicken. It would have been three ways, he said, but he had wanted to include coffee to make yoghurt instead of mixing coffee with yoghurt, and failed. It turns out that coffee mixed with milk will simply not turn into yoghurt, likely because the acid levels are too high in the first place.

Chef Sakthi's chicken for the dish is marinated in coffee and so tender he recommended that the audience use coffee to marinate chicken from now on. He also demonstrated how to recycle spent coffee grounds to smoke meat using a saucepan and some water.

Some of the recipes created by Allspice are below:

Silent screamer (beverage)

Source: Mileage Communications. Silent Screamer.
Source: Mileage Communications. Silent Screamer.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves three

INGREDIENTS:

3 single shots of brewed Cafédirect Lively Roast Coffee. A single shot typically uses 7g of powder to 30ml of liquid
2 tbsp natural coconut oil
360 ml skimmed milk
1½ tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. Combine brewed Cafédirect Lively Roast Coffee, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract in a jug and mix well.

2. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk over low-medium heat until the milk reaches 60-70o C.

3. Transfer the hot milk into a jug then back into the saucepan, then back again a few times to make sure it is thoroughly mixed and aerated.

4. Pour the mixture into three serving cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and serve warm.

Coffee smoked tandoori chicken (savoury)

Source: Mileage Communications. Coffee smoked tandoori chicken, served with a mint sauce.
Source: Mileage Communications. Coffee smoked tandoori chicken, served with a mint sauce.

Preparation time: 4 hours
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Serves three

INGREDIENTS:

130g chicken, cut into cubes, with enough skewers to hold them for cooking and serving
A double shot of Cafédirect Lively Roast Coffee. Double shots are made with about 14g of coffee and about 60ml of liquid
Pinch of yuzu salt

For marinating:

50 ml thick yogurt. Yoghurt can be thickened by straining it through cloth.
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground smoked paprika
½ tsp Himalayan salt
1/8 tsp ground white pepper

For smoking:

1 tbsp used/fresh coffee grounds
Cardamom

METHOD:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken and coffee; mix well. Cover and place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to marinade. The chicken should ideally be marinated for two to three hours, or even overnight.

2. In another flat plate or bowl, mix the marinade ingredients to form a smooth paste.

3. After an hour in the fridge, remove the chicken from the coffee, and pat the meat dry with a kitchen towel 

4. Place the chicken onto the marinade paste and ensure the paste coats the chicken well.

5. Cover the chicken with wrap and put it back into the refrigerator for about three to four hours.

6. Remove from the fridge and arrange the chicken on the skewers to pan fry or grill in the oven.

7. Place the coffee grounds and some cardamom `in a large flat saucepan or frying pan that has a lid. Cook covered over high heat for two minutes. Add a splash of water, then place the cooked chicken in a heat-proof bowl or plate into the pan. Cover the pan. Turn off the heat and leave it to sit for two minutes.

8. Serve warm, sprinkled with yuzu salt.

Coffee Religieuse
Coffee Religieuse
Coffee Religieuse (dessert)

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Makes 12 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

Icing sugar for garnishing

For Cafédirect Smooth Roast pastry cream

1 litre milk
1 vanilla pod
125g sugar
240g egg yolk
80g custard powder
30g Cafédirect Smooth Roast Coffee

METHOD:

1. Heat the milk with the split vanilla pod and sugar and once it is boiling, turn off the heat.

2. Add the coffee and leave it to infuse in a covered pot for 10 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk* the sugar and egg yolk, mix in the custard powder.

4. Pour in the hot coffee-infused milk and mix briskly.

5. Strain it through a fine sieve and decant into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Cook for 1 minute.

6. Pour the coffee pastry cream onto a tray covered in food wrap, then cover the pastry cream with another layer of cling wrap. The wrap should be touching the surface of the cream.

7. Place the cream in the chiller to cool down.

INGREDIENTS:

For pâte à choux dough (choux pastry)

220g milk
220g water
4g salt
8g sugar
180g butter
220g flour
400g eggs

METHOD:

1. Boil milk, salt, sugar and butter.

2. Sift the flour and spoon it into the boiling liquid, stirring with a whisk.

3. Dry out the dough to obtain a panade (paste-like consistency).

4. Transfer the panade into a container, then gradually fold in the beaten eggs using a whisk.

5. Add a little boiling milk if needed, depending on the dough consistency**.

6. Pipe spheres onto baking sheet and bake in preheated oven at 200oC for 30 to 35 minutes.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Turn each choux bun upside down, make a small hole in the base and pipe in the coffee pastry cream.

2. Dust with icing powder.


Description for the Smooth Roast Coffee from Cafédirect.
Description for the Smooth Roast Coffee from Cafédirect.

Cafédirect also demonstrated its own recipe for a frappé:

Frappé (beverage)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves one

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp Cafédirect Instant Freeze-dried Coffee
2-4 tsp of sugar to taste
Ice cubes
100ml cold water
100ml to 150ml of fresh milk

METHOD:

1. Place the instant coffee, water, and sugar into a shaker

2. Shake vigorously until a light-coloured froth has been created

3. Pour into a glass of ice cubes. Top up with fresh milk.

4. Stir well and enjoy.

Explore:

Read about Cafédirect coffee and try the recipe for coffee damier cake in this WorkSmart Asia blog post

In Singapore, Cafédirect coffee packs are available at Cold Storage, Fairprice Finest, Fairprice Xtra, Jasons, Market Place and Redmart at S$8.70 per 227g pack.

*Use an electric mixer to whisk.

**The Leiths School of Food and Wine says in a blog post that the right consistency for choux pastry is when a wooden spoonful of the pastry can fall into a container "to the slow count of six". The Flavor Bender blog covers mistakes made with choux pastry.