A Little Coffee Cookbook. Recipes: Lamb Roasted with Coffee and Coffee and Rum Mousse

A Little Coffee Cookbook

by Janet Laurence

The following information is provided by Chronicle Books

A delightful compendium of delicious coffee recipes, this little cookbook also includes a brief history of coffee-where and how it is grown, the different kinds of coffee available, and various methods of brewing. Here are recipes for iced, spiced, and Irish coffees, as well as a novel repertoire of appetizers, desserts, and main dishes, such as mushrooms marinated in coffee, coffee and chestnut pate, lamb roasted with coffee, Moroccan chicken, and coffee rum truffles.

Lamb Roasted with Coffee

This is a traditional Swedish recipe. The coffee cuts the fatty quality of the lamb and produces delicious gravy but is quite unrecognizable in the finished dish.

4-1/2 lb leg of lamb
little butter or oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
generous cup coffee, medium strength, mixed with 2 tbsp light cream and 1 tsp sugar

Sauce:

2 tbsp flour
additional light cream or milk
1 tsp red currant jelly

(serves 6)

Rub meat with butter or oil, season well. Place in roasting pan and roast in reheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting for one hour, basting every 20 minutes. Then add the white, sweetened coffee to the pan and continue roasting for another hour, or until joint cooked to your liking, basting as before. When done, remove meat and keep warm.

Strain the pan juices then skim fat off the top and return 2 tablespoons to the roasting pan with the 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook over a moderate heat for a few minutes, stirring all the time, then make a smooth sauce with the degreased juices and red currant jelly, made up to 2 cups with additional light cream or milk, scraping the bottom of the roasting pan well to incorporate any crusty bits with all their flavor. Adjust seasoning, simmer 5-10 minutes then serve with the meat.

Coffee and Rum Mousse

A deliciously light mousse that marries the coffee and rum flavors marvellously.

4 tbsp light rum
1 tbsp powdered gelatine
1 cup freshly-made strong medium roasted coffee
3 egg yolks
6 tbsp superfine sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 egg whites

(serves 6)

Sprinkle gelatine over rum and leave until the powder has absorbed the liquid, about five minutes. Strain the hot coffee, add the soaked gelatine and stir until completely dissolved. Beat the yolks until thick and pale, beat in the sugar until the mixture has increased in volume and is even paler. Gradually beat in the hot liquid and leave to cool. When the mixture has started to thicken, whip the cream until it almost holds its shape then fold in carefully. Whip the egg whites to soft peak and fold in as well. Pour mixture into a 5 cup mold, or individual dishes, and leave in cold place to set. Alternatively, use a smaller, 3 cup with a paper collar tied firmly around its top. After the mousse has set, the collar can be removed, leaving the mixture standing proud of the dish, like a risen souffle. Grated chocolate and/or whipped cream can be used to decorate the mousse. Instead of rum, cognac or kirsch can be used for flavoring.

Recipes from:
A Little Coffee Cookbook
by Janet Laurence
Illustrated by Catherine McWilliams
Chronicle Books
Released November 15, 1992
$6.95 (hardcover)
(ISBN: 8118-0256-6)
Reprinted with permission

This page originally published as a FoodDay article in 1997.