There is no such thing as a simple coffee… I don’t mean the ‘LA Story’ half-double-decaffeinated -half-caf-with-a-twist-of-lemon kind of coffee… I mean the very popular le cafe gourmand that is served in many restaurants in Provence. Le cafe gourmand is usually an espresso served with bite size tastes of deliciousness… not the full desert, but a small selection of all that is mouth watering and good. Generally the espresso is served cup only, without the saucer, on a larger serving plate… surrounded by this selection of sweet temptations.
What could you expect to accompany your coffee? A baby apple crumble, a mini chocolate pudding or a creamy and crunchy crème brûlée… perhaps a tiny sip of strawberry soup or a raspberry macaron… very often there will be an ice cold scoop of sorbet or a petite madeleine, just baked and out of the oven. Just a mouthful… just a soupçon to satisfy that sweet craving that inevitably follows a satisfying meal… Le cafe gourmand is a different way of serving les petits fours… another course, rather than a shared bite at the end of the meal.
My summer version of le cafe gourmand is simple. With the coffee, I serve scoops of sorbet… two in a small glass (sometimes I use an old style wide-rimmed champagne glass for height)… mixing the flavours and the colours… On each plate I add a couple of raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, a fresh fig from the garden and a slice of nougat… Very easy and very pretty… If I had more time I would make a tiny pot of crème brûlée for each person… that would be just about perfect… Nigella Lawson’s recipe for crème brûlée is a favourite… here.
Why have a simple coffee when you can have le cafe gourmand… Right?… xv
