We have 6 guests online
| Coffee temperatures and vegetarian sausages |
 |
 |
 |
| Food and Wine | Food |
| Written by Matthew Fort on Saturday, 30 January 2010 07:02 |
In Ethiopia, from whence all coffee came once upon a time, they serve their coffee relatively cool by European standards, or at least they do in my experience. So, to deal with this vexing question, I began by making myself a cup in my ancient stove-top moka pot. That registered 76C when it went into the mug, and quickly dropped to the
 temperature I like it – that is, around 65C. But then, I like my coffee black, without the interference of milk. Wider reading (and not on Google, I'll have you know) suggests that the brew temperature should be between 82C and 100C, depending on whether you use a filter system or an espresso system. The brew time is between 30 seconds (espresso) and 12 minutes (Middle Eastern boiled), and the optimum serving temperature is 60C, which is not only consistent with bringing out the full flavours of the coffee and you not having to rush to A&E with a scalded upper lip, but also shows how little I know on the subject, seeing as I've been drinking it 5C or so hotter for as long as I can remember. Of course, once you add sugar or milk, the cooling process speeds markedly, but the temperature ideals remain the same.As a fairly new vegetarian, what I miss most is a decent sausage – the veggie ones I've tried are rubbery, sawdust-like, over-salty or otherwise unappetising. Can you suggest an acceptable alternative to the pork banger, or a recipe?
Over the years, I have tried more than my fair share of non-meat bangers (as well as meaty ones, I hasten to add) and have yet to come across one that remotely resembles a true pork sausage. In terms of texture, veggie sausages can get closer to that familiar close-knit density, but even so I'm not convinced that TVP or other vegetarian substitutes will ever replicate the effect. Also, a quick run-through of the other ingredients and processes involved may make you think twice about eating them. And why make a veggie sausage to resemble a pork banger in the first place? Try this Glamorgan sausage instead:
250g Caerphilly, grated
150g white breadcrumbs
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp each parsley, thyme and rosemary
1 tsp English mustard powder
2 eggs
Plain flour
50g toasted breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
Mix the cheese, white breadcrumbs, onion, herbs and mustard, then season. Add a whole egg and one egg yolk. Shape the fairly crumbly mixture into sausage shapes, squeezing them so they're quite firm. Cover and leave in a cool place for an hour. Roll each "sausage" in flour, then in the remaining egg white (whisked) and then in toasted breadcrumbs, and fry in hot oil for 10 minutes until brown and crunchy.
(Courtesy The Guardian)
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 178 Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed