Fall recipes with coffee

We are used to thinking of coffee being sipped during the day, for adding to tall milk or maybe even for making a tiramisù.

But actually this ingredient is also excellent for making sweet recipes and even savory ones.

Now that fall is here, you may be more keen to try out some more elaborate dishes, something to prepare for a Sunday lunch to have with the family. 

In this article we will suggest an entire menu with coffee-based fall recipes.

We’re talking about more sumptuous dishes with more seasoning compared to summer ones but, at the end of the day, the great thing about this season is that it is also the time when you can allow yourself  to indulge in some delicacies, even better if enriched with that special ingredient, coffee. 

Using coffee in savory recipes

The way coffee is used in cooking depends on the level of roasting of the beans: if it is lighter, it is perfect for helping to clean the palate after rich flavored dishes, such as pork dishes.

If the roasting is stronger, though, it is better to combine the coffee with game dishes.

Mixed together with chili pepper and other spices, coffee can be used to flavor fish-based dishes.

To counteract any excess acidity, you just need to add a pinch of salt. 

Coffee powder is also an excellent ingredient to use, but we recommend following a couple of precautions: firstly, it is necessary to get the right quantities, without overdoing it, because the bitter taste could create too strong a contrast with the savory.

It may also be a good idea to put the coffee into the food mixer and grind it even more finely to make it less coarse, otherwise it may irritate the palate too much.

Fall recipes with coffee: our suggestions

Who said that you can only drink coffee at the end of a meal?

First courses, meat, fish and, of course, dessert: we give you a whole menu based on coffee, espresso and in powder. 

Risotto with coffee and taleggio cheese

The creaminess of the taleggio cheese marries well with the contrasting bitterness of the coffee, which for this recipe can be used either in the form of espresso or powder. 

Ingredients for 4 people 

• 12,35 0z of carnaroli rice
• 1 shallot
• 2 tablespoons of butter  
• 1.76 pints of ready made vegetable stock 
• 3 espresso cups of caffè Filicori Zecchini
• 5,29 oz taleggio cheese 
• parmesan cheese to taste 
• coffee powder to taste 

Method

1. First, peel and chop the shallot finely and then sweat it in the pan with a tablespoon of butter. Add the rice and toast lightly. Pour in a ladle of hot stock, taking care to turn up the heat for just a couple of minutes before turning it down again, until the liquid is completely absorbed, then repeat the operation.
2. Continue to cook the rice for 10-12 minutes, then pour in the coffee and mix until well-absorbed. Turn off the heat and add a spoonful of butter and the taleggio cut into cubes and mix in with the heat off, with a little parmesan cheese.
3. Transfer onto serving plates and decorate with a spoonful of coffee powder, having previously passed it through the blender to grind it even more finely. Serve hot.

Salmon with coffee coating 

Coffee incorporated into fish dishes creates an interesting contrast.

Here, we recommend using it in powder form combined with salmon to create a kind of unusual coating.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 slices of salmon
• 12.32 fl oz of  fish stock 
• aromatic herbs (thyme, sage, parsley) to flavor
• Filicori Zecchini coffee powder for coating
• About 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for cooking 
• 1-2 anchovy fillets 
• 1 shallot
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Arrange the coffee powder on a plate, choosing a delicate flavored variety. Lay the salmon slices in the coffee powder as if coating them in breadcrumbs. Take a non-stick frying pan, pour in a very small amount of oil and place in the fish. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, then remove and keep warm. 
2. Chop the shallot finely and brown it in the cooking juices of the fish, adding a couple of spoonfuls of oil. Then add the anchovy fillets and the fresh herbs. Add one or two ladles full of fish stock. Cook for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour this mixture into the spout of the mixer and blend everything.
3. Pour a spoon of the mixture obtained into the pan, ease the fish onto it, adding salt if necessary and leave to cook for a few more minutes. Then serve adding a generous spoonful of the sauce. Serve hot.

Pork fillet with coffee sauce

Dishes with plenty of seasoning such as pork are well suited to lightly  roasted coffee beans with a delicate flavor, which help to clean the palate.

In this recipe we propose the pork fillet combined with a coffee sauce.  

Ingredients for 4/6 people 

• 2.2 lbs of pork fillet  
• 1 shallot
• A tablespoon of butter 
• Flour ( as needed) 
• 1 glass of white wine 
• 2 sprigs of rosemary 
• 1 glass of milk 
• 4 espresso cups of coffee Filicori Zecchini
• 2 dessert spoons of fresh cream 
• salt to taste  
• pepper to taste 

Method 

1. Peel the shallot and brown lightly with a tablespoon of butter, taking care not to brown it too much or burn it. Flour the meat and lay it carefully in the pan. Brown the meat for a couple of minutes each side. As soon as the meat is sealed, add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.  
2. Then add the milk and the rosemary, cover the pan and leave to cook on a low heat for at least one and a half hours. Half way through the cooking time, add two cups of espresso coffee and let it reduce. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue cooking. Then remove the meat from the pan and keep warm. 

3. To the roasting juices in the bottom of the pan add two small cups of espresso coffee and the cream and gently simmer for  few more minutes, stirring continuously. Carve the meat into slices and serve with the coffee gravy you have made.  

Walnut and coffee cupcakes

In this recipe we offer you a simple breakfast sweet, enriched with dried fruit and the flavor of coffee. 

Ingredients for 4-6 people. 

• 10.58 oz of cake flour 
• 8.82 oz of walnuts 
• 2 espresso cups of coffee Filicori Zecchini
• 3.53 oz of butter
• 3.53 oz of sugar 
• 1 egg
• 8.8 fl oz of milk
• 1 sachet of yeast for desserts 
• Powdered sugar for dusting 
• Flour and butter for preparing the baking tray 

Method

1. Chop the walnuts finely and put some to one side for the final decoration, then put them in a bowl. Mix the sieved four with the yeast and mix well. Melt the butter and add to the mix. 
2. Separately, beat the egg together with the sugar and when it becomes light and fluffy, add the coffee and continue beating. Lastly, pour in the milk. When you have obtained a smooth mix, add to the flour  and mix well.
3. Butter and flour a suitable cake tin and pour in the mixture. Add whole walnuts to the top of each one. Bake in a  hot oven at 356° F for 40 minutes then use the toothpick test to see if thoroughly cooked through: if it comes out clean then the cakes are ready, if not, bake for another few minutes.
4. Serve the walnut and coffee cakes dusted with a little powdered sugar.

If you’re feeling the desire to try out new sweet and savory coffee-based recipes, just take a look at our nostro shop on line