Cafe Brulot
1 cup cognac brandy
45 pieces loaf sugar
50 whole cloves
3 pieces stick cinnamon broken in bits
54 orange peel cut thin
1 small piece lemon peel cut thin
1 quart strong New Orleans dripped coffee
Combine the ingredients in advance. In a briilot bowl pour a cup
(54 pint) of cognac brandy. Add the sugar, cloves, stick of cin
namon broken in bits, thinly cut orange peel, and sliced lemon
rind. The mixture should be set to steep for at least six hours
in advance of serving time to allow the brandy, spices, and citrus
oils to blend. The coffee is prepared separately and is not mixed
with the spiced brandy until serving dme. Will serve 20 guests.
A special brMot equipment is required if you are to
burn cafe brMot successfvally. This equipment consists of
a specially manufactured bowl of silver on copper, a cir
cular tray, and a long-handled ladle, all of the same metal
known as Sheffield. Don't use your wife's silver fruit
dish, even though it may resemble a brMot bowl in shape
and appearance. We know a man who did this in the ab
sence of the little woman, and rich old Aunt Hattie's
wedding gift phi^ted into the shape of Aunt Hattie in
fewer minutes than it takes to tell. We hesitate to speak
of the fiery aftermath when the storm-and-strife returned.
Put the brandy mixture in the bowl, then pour a small
portion of alcohol into the circular tray, just enough to
sparingly cover the base of the bowl. The dripped coffee,
prepared in advance, is brought to the table steaming
hot. All lights in the room are extinguished to accent the
brulot flames; the alcohol in the tray is touched off with
a match and allowed to burn until the contents of the
bowl are heated. Dip up a little of the mixture with the
ladle and hold in the flame rising from the tray, then
dip ladle in the mixture to hurry the process of ignition.
Seventy-four
:r*..
•li