flipBlack Coffee for Writing Nights
Black Coffee for Writing Nights
Why this dish? Sand was a great coffee drinker, consuming it in abundance to sustain her long nights of writing. Often working from midnight to dawn, she had cup after cup served to keep her pen going until daybreak.
A black coffee, strong and scalding, prepared in the old style by infusion or decoction, served without ceremony in a faience cup. The fuel of night owls and relentless writers.
I am reproached enough for my coffee that I should defend it here: it is this, and not some muse, that keeps me awake when the household sleeps and the pen finally runs free. I want it black, strong, without those insipid milk and sugar with which they weaken it in the salons. Cup after cup, it accompanies my nights until the day pales at the windows and the page is full. Work at night, my friends, and you will understand what a faithful friend this bitter brew is.
- •Roasted coffee beans — a good measure (infusion)
- •Spring water — as needed (extraction)
Black Coffee for Writing Nights
A black coffee, strong and scalding, prepared in the old style by infusion or decoction, served without ceremony in a faience cup. The fuel of night owls and relentless writers.
Why this dish? Sand was a great coffee drinker, consuming it in abundance to sustain her long nights of writing. Often working from midnight to dawn, she had cup after cup served to keep her pen going until daybreak.
I am reproached enough for my coffee that I should defend it here: it is this, and not some muse, that keeps me awake when the household sleeps and the pen finally runs free. I want it black, strong, without those insipid milk and sugar with which they weaken it in the salons. Cup after cup, it accompanies my nights until the day pales at the windows and the page is full. Work at night, my friends, and you will understand what a faithful friend this bitter brew is.
Ingredients (period version)
- Roasted coffee beans — a good measure (infusion)
- Spring water — as needed (extraction)
Ingredients
- Ground coffee (dark roast) — 10 g per cup (infusion)
- Simmering water (not boiling) — 15 cl per cup (extraction)
Method
- Grind the beans fairly finely, just before preparation, to preserve the aroma.
- Heat the water until simmering, without letting it boil vigorously.
- Pour the water over the coffee (in a French press, filter, or old-style in a cloth) and let infuse for 4 minutes.
- Filter and serve immediately, scalding hot, in a faience cup, black and without sugar following Sand's custom.
How it was made : In the 19th century, coffee was often prepared by decoction or in early percolator coffee pots. A beverage that had become popular, it was associated with intellectual work; many writers and thinkers, from Balzac to Sand, consumed it in large quantities to extend their vigils.
The contemporary twist : Serve it as a "ristretto de Nohant," very concentrated in a small cup, accompanied by a square of homemade quince paste to soften the bitterness.
George Sand · Charactorium
