flipNorthern Chicory with Milk
Northern Chicory with Milk
Why this dish? In Pétain's native Artois, roasted chicory — ground roasted root — is the quintessential popular hot drink, drunk plain or with milk, more economical than coffee. It is the bitter, comforting taste of the mining country where he grew up.
A brown, bitter infusion of roasted chicory root, softened with hot milk and a cloud of brown sugar. The sober drink of the North, from early morning to evening gatherings.
At home in Artois, we didn't waste coffee: we drank chicory, this roasted root from our soil, bitter and frank like the people of the region. A good gulp of hot milk, a hint of vergeoise, and there you have something to keep you awake at the evening gathering without heating the blood. I never liked drunkenness or excess; a cup of chicory is a drink of a settled man who rises early and works the land. Taste it: you get used to it, and then you can't do without it.
- •Roasted and ground chicory roots — a good spoonful (bitter base)
- •Boiling water — one bowl (infusion)
- •Milk — to taste (softener)
- •Brown sugar (vergeoise) — to taste (Northern sugar)
Northern Chicory with Milk
A brown, bitter infusion of roasted chicory root, softened with hot milk and a cloud of brown sugar. The sober drink of the North, from early morning to evening gatherings.
Why this dish? In Pétain's native Artois, roasted chicory — ground roasted root — is the quintessential popular hot drink, drunk plain or with milk, more economical than coffee. It is the bitter, comforting taste of the mining country where he grew up.
At home in Artois, we didn't waste coffee: we drank chicory, this roasted root from our soil, bitter and frank like the people of the region. A good gulp of hot milk, a hint of vergeoise, and there you have something to keep you awake at the evening gathering without heating the blood. I never liked drunkenness or excess; a cup of chicory is a drink of a settled man who rises early and works the land. Taste it: you get used to it, and then you can't do without it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Roasted and ground chicory roots — a good spoonful (bitter base)
- Boiling water — one bowl (infusion)
- Milk — to taste (softener)
- Brown sugar (vergeoise) — to taste (Northern sugar)
Ingredients
- Instant chicory (or grains to infuse) — 2 tsp (base)
- Simmering water — 20 cl (infusion)
- Hot milk — 10 cl (softens bitterness)
- Brown sugar (vergeoise) — 1 tsp (sweetener)
Method
- Dissolve the chicory in simmering water (or let the chicory grains steep for 5 minutes then strain).
- Heat the milk without boiling.
- Mix the infusion and hot milk in a large bowl.
- Sweeten with a pinch of vergeoise. Drink piping hot, optionally dipping a slice of bread.
How it was made : Coffee chicory spread in the North from the 19th century, locally grown and industrially roasted (Leroux in Orchies). Cheap and caffeine-free, it accompanied the worker's and peasant's breakfast bread, and served as a coffee substitute in times of shortage.
The contemporary twist : In an iced 'latte' version: cold chicory, frothy milk and a dash of vergeoise over ice — the bitterness of the North as a summer drink.
Philippe Pétain · Charactorium
