Roasting Your Own Chicory Root Coffee

Chicory coffee has a reputation as wartime ersatz, but freshly roasted root is genuinely delicious: dark, toasty, a little caramel, with no caffeine at all.

You will need

• Fresh chicory roots (dig them in autumn, or buy them from a farmers’ market)
• A sharp knife, a baking tray, a spice or coffee grinder

Steps

1. Scrub the roots thoroughly. No need to peel.
2. Chop into 1 cm cubes — even sizes roast evenly.
3. Dry them at 120 °C for about an hour, until they rattle.
4. Raise the oven to 200 °C and roast for 20–30 minutes, stirring often, until they are the colour of dark chocolate and smell like brownies.
5. Cool, then grind medium-fine.

Brew 1 tablespoon per cup in a cafetière for 5 minutes. Try a 50/50 blend with coffee — New Orleans style — with hot milk.