Caffè Ristretto al Banco
A Roman short coffee, barely more than a sip, dense and bitter, crowned with a hazelnut crema. The fuel of shooting days, drunk in one go at the counter.
A Roman short coffee, barely more than a sip, dense and bitter, crowned with a hazelnut crema. The fuel of shooting days, drunk in one go at the counter.
A coffee, but a real one, eh: short, black, tight as a fist. Not those big cups of hot water they drink elsewhere. You stand at the counter, you drink it in two sips, you set down the saucer, and you go back to shoot the scene. The cigarette in one hand, the cup in the other — that was my way of catching my breath before giving it all in front of the camera.
- •Finely ground coffee (dark roast) — a packed dose (base)
- •Water — very little (extraction)
- •Sugar — optional (sweetness)
Caffè Ristretto al Banco
A Roman short coffee, barely more than a sip, dense and bitter, crowned with a hazelnut crema. The fuel of shooting days, drunk in one go at the counter.
Why this dish? Cigarettes and coffee were the companions of Magnani's film sets and Roman early mornings: a ristretto swallowed standing at the counter, brief and nervous like her temperament, between takes.
A coffee, but a real one, eh: short, black, tight as a fist. Not those big cups of hot water they drink elsewhere. You stand at the counter, you drink it in two sips, you set down the saucer, and you go back to shoot the scene. The cigarette in one hand, the cup in the other — that was my way of catching my breath before giving it all in front of the camera.
Ingredients (period version)
- Finely ground coffee (dark roast) — a packed dose (base)
- Water — very little (extraction)
- Sugar — optional (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Italian roast coffee beans — 7-8 g finely ground (base)
- Water — 15-20 ml extracted (extraction)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
Method
- Grind the coffee very fine, just before extraction.
- Tamp the dose into the espresso machine's portafilter.
- Extract a ristretto: stop the flow at about 15-20 ml for a short, concentrated coffee.
- Serve immediately in a small warm cup, with the hazelnut crema intact.
- Sweeten or not, but drink in one go, standing.
How it was made : In 20th-century Rome, coffee was drunk at the 'banco' (counter) of the bar, standing and quickly, without the slowness of terraces. The espresso ristretto, shorter and less bitter on the palate despite its density, became the daily ritual of working Romans, including actors and technicians at Cinecittà.
The contemporary twist : Served on a saucer with a square of dark chocolate and a glass of sparkling water, as in the historic bars of the capital.
Anna Magnani · Charactorium