flipStrong Filter Coffee
Strong Filter Coffee
Why this dish? Anouilh wrote a lot, late at night, on his portable typewriter; the strong coffee of the Parisian bourgeoisie accompanied his writing nights as well as the end of dinners at the counter.
A black, full-bodied coffee, dripped slowly over packed grounds, served very hot in a small thick cup, with nothing to soften its bitterness.
Coffee, you see, is the hour when the play wakes up. You pack the grounds into the filter, pour the simmering water in small amounts—especially not boiling, it would burn the aroma—and you listen to the drops fall as you listen to a silence in the theater. I took it black, strong, without sugar, in front of the typewriter, when Paris slept and the lines finally consented to come. Three cups, and an act held up.
- •Ground coffee (dark roast) — one heaped spoon per cup (base)
- •Simmering water — one small cup per dose (extraction)
Strong Filter Coffee
A black, full-bodied coffee, dripped slowly over packed grounds, served very hot in a small thick cup, with nothing to soften its bitterness.
Why this dish? Anouilh wrote a lot, late at night, on his portable typewriter; the strong coffee of the Parisian bourgeoisie accompanied his writing nights as well as the end of dinners at the counter.
Coffee, you see, is the hour when the play wakes up. You pack the grounds into the filter, pour the simmering water in small amounts—especially not boiling, it would burn the aroma—and you listen to the drops fall as you listen to a silence in the theater. I took it black, strong, without sugar, in front of the typewriter, when Paris slept and the lines finally consented to come. Three cups, and an act held up.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ground coffee (dark roast) — one heaped spoon per cup (base)
- Simmering water — one small cup per dose (extraction)
Ingredients
- Dark roast ground coffee — 12 g per cup (base)
- Water at 92–94°C — 120 ml per cup (extraction)
Method
- Lightly tamp the coffee in the filter (drip coffee maker or French press).
- Heat water until simmering, then wait a few seconds (never boiling).
- Pour water in two or three stages to wet all the grounds.
- Let drip slowly and serve immediately, very hot, in a small thick cup.
How it was made : Filter coffee, passed through grounds by gravity, became standard in French homes and cafés from the late 19th century; it was drunk strong and black, sugar being a matter of personal taste.
The contemporary twist : The same gesture with a French press, using artisanal roast coffee and water measured to the gram.
Sources : History of coffee in France, reference works on Parisian cafés
Jean Anouilh · Charactorium
