Not sure about you, but here at Granny Mouse Country House and Spa we all love a cuppa Joe to kick start the glorious mornings in the heart of the Midlands.
People drink coffee the world over and there’s even an international day to celebrate the bean at the start of October.
Coffee, according to historical records, originated in Ethiopia centuries ago. Since then, it has been scattered across the world and comes in many presentations – from the brew itself, to candles, medicine and even as a currency in ancient times.
In Ethiopia, according to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
The story goes that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that, after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.
Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery who concocted a drink using these special berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.
As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, coffee began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe.
Coffee made its way through the north into Yemen in the 15th Century where the beans arrived by the name of “Mocha.” Shortly after, they became well known in Egypt, Persia, and Turkey as “wine of Araby” and coffee houses that went by the names of “Schools of the Wise” started to open.
Next, Arabia became the gatekeeper for coffee and these beans became part of a large-scale coffee farming operation in Southern India. In 1560, coffee made its way through Europe and quickly became popular – until Pope Clement VIII decided that the drink must be satanic!
After further careful inspection, he gave into the glory of the beverage and declared it a Christian drink. As the 1600s rolled on and coffee houses sprung up all over Europe, the beans followed the wave of colonization and found themselves in America.
Today, not even the most jaw dropping tech can have the same effect as a good cuppa and, no matter how you take it, the magical bean energizes, warms your cockles, refreshes you and is a perfect excuse for a good chilled out chat with your bestie on the deck at Granny Mouse.
True to its coffee roots, Granny Mouse supports local coffee brand Terbodore, which originates in the Midlands.
We love to serve their blends in many ways. At the same time, we also love to experiment with coffee and creating innovative meals with the famous bean. Here are some of Granny Mouse’s culinary artist, Theo Mannie’s, favourite ways to get a buzz by creating meals with this magical bean.
Chocolate and Coffee Milkshake
Ingredients
- 1 shot espresso
- 150g vanilla ice cream
- 50ml full cream milk
- 30ml chocolate syrup
Method:
In a kitchen aid, place all the ingredients together. Whisk until combined, start on medium speed until the ice cream starts to break down, then increase the speed to maximum for a couple of seconds. You can garnish with whipped cream and crushed chocolate biscuits.
Beef Fillet with Red Wine and Coffee Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 x 200g beef fillet
- 20g plunger coffee
- 500ml red wine
- 100g sugar
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 200g cold mashed potato
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed and pureed
- 50ml cream
- 40g streaky bacon, cut into cubes
- 100g baby carrots, blanched for 30 seconds
- 100g broccoli florets, blanched for 30 seconds
- 40g butter for cooking
- Salt & pepper for seasoning
Method:
- In a coffee plunger, make the coffee with 400ml of water. Strain the coffee and allow to cool.
- In the meantime, pour the wine in a saucepan and reduce by half on medium heat. Add the sugar, thyme and coffee to this and continue to reduce until the sauce has thickened.
- In a food processor, place the mashed potato, garlic and cream. Blend for 5 to 8 minutes until it becomes a smooth puree.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Cut the carrots in half-length ways, sauté together with the broccoli in a pan of butter for about 3 minutes.
- In a hot frying pan, sear the fillet in some butter turning occasionally so that all the sides are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper before placing in the oven, until it is cooked to your liking. Remove and allow to rest. While the steak is resting, warm up the potato puree, vegetables and sauce (separately). Use a table spoon to place a dollop of puree on one end of the plate, and then with the back end of the spoon, smear the puree towards the opposite end. Arrange the broccoli and carrots along the outer end of the puree. Place the steak down the middle and drizzle the sauce over.
Coffee Panacotta with Blueberry Compote
Ingredients
- 200ml double cream
- 200ml full cream milk
- 20g plunger coffee
- 200ml water for coffee
- 10g sugar
- 1tsp vanilla essence
- 3 gelatine leaves
- 300g blueberries
- 30g sugar
- 20ml water
Method:
For the Panacotta:
- Using a coffee plunger, make the coffee, strain and set aside to cool. Combine the milk, cream, coffee, sugar and vanilla essence into a saucepan and gently bring to a soft boil whilst stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has dissolved, place the gelatin leaves into the liquid and continue to whisk until they have completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into molds and chill in the fridge until they have set.
For the compote:
- Pour all the ingredients into a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the berries have broken down and it resembles a thick lumpy sauce. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Gently remove the Panacotta from their molds and serve with the berry compote.
