The Bitter Leaf

Tag: chicory root

  • Chicory Root Chocolate Brownies

    Ground roasted chicory root deepens chocolate the same way espresso does, without keeping you awake at night.

    • 200 g dark chocolate, 150 g butter
    • 3 eggs, 200 g brown sugar
    • 80 g flour, 30 g cocoa, 2 tbsp finely ground roasted chicory root
    • A pinch of flaky salt

    Melt the chocolate with the butter. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick, fold in the chocolate, then the dry ingredients. Bake in a lined 20 cm tin at 180 °C for 22 minutes — the middle should still wobble. Cool completely before cutting.

  • 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.