Black coffee à la Procope
A cup of black coffee, strong and bitter, prepared in the old way by decoction. It is the brew that accompanies reading, writing, and philosophical debate, far from the supper wine.
A cup of black coffee, strong and bitter, prepared in the old way by decoction. It is the brew that accompanies reading, writing, and philosophical debate, far from the supper wine.
Here is the black liquor that kept my pen in hand many a night! They said it dispelled the fumes of wine and made the mind sharp and orderly. Grind your bean very fine, throw it into boiling water, let it yield all its bitterness, then let it rest a moment so the grounds settle. At the Procope, they served cups to all the wits — and I assure you, a page of the Encyclopédie was polished better under its goad.
- •Roasted coffee beans — a good measure (bitterness and aroma)
- •Spring water — according to number of cups (infusion)
- •Sugar — optional, to taste (sweetener)
Black coffee à la Procope
A cup of black coffee, strong and bitter, prepared in the old way by decoction. It is the brew that accompanies reading, writing, and philosophical debate, far from the supper wine.
Why this dish? Coffee was the prized drink of Enlightenment intellectuals, and the Café Procope one of their Parisian haunts. Diderot crossed paths with the spirit of the times there; coffee kept the encyclopedists awake over their manuscripts.
Here is the black liquor that kept my pen in hand many a night! They said it dispelled the fumes of wine and made the mind sharp and orderly. Grind your bean very fine, throw it into boiling water, let it yield all its bitterness, then let it rest a moment so the grounds settle. At the Procope, they served cups to all the wits — and I assure you, a page of the Encyclopédie was polished better under its goad.
Ingredients (period version)
- Roasted coffee beans — a good measure (bitterness and aroma)
- Spring water — according to number of cups (infusion)
- Sugar — optional, to taste (sweetener)
Ingredients
- Roasted coffee beans (to grind) — 20 g (finely ground) (bitterness and aroma)
- Water — 300 ml (infusion)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetener (optional))
Method
- Grind the coffee finely, just before preparing.
- Bring water to a simmer (not a rolling boil).
- Add the ground coffee, let steep for 3 to 4 minutes off the heat, stirring once.
- Let the grounds settle at the bottom, then pour gently into cups.
- Sweeten or not, and serve piping hot.
How it was made : In the 18th century, coffee was mainly prepared by decoction or infusion in a tin or copper coffee pot, with the grounds settling at the bottom. The Café Procope, opened in Paris at the end of the 17th century, became a major social hub for men of letters.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a small cup set on a saucer with a square of dark chocolate: the bitterness of the Enlightenment and that of cocoa echo each other.
Sources : Histoire du Café Procope, Paris
Denis Diderot · Charactorium