jean’s kitchen – Irish Coffee

Caife Gaelach (in Irish) is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred, and topped with thick cream. The coffee is drunk through the cream. The original recipe explicitly uses cream that has not been whipped, although whipped cream is often used because it’s easier to get it floating on top! Irish coffee may be considered a variation on the hot toddy, which is Irish whiskey, hot water, and a thick slice of lemon spiked with cloves. (My mother gave me that as a child when I had the flu…no wonder I’m an alco lol!)

• 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
• 1 tsp Brown sugar (that’s the original recipe, you can use regular sugar, but no sugar substitutes as the sugar is what makes the cream float.)
• 6 oz Hot coffee (boiling water and instant coffee is often used in Irish Pubs)
• Heavy cream (whipped or not…you are the chef)

The glass will be either a stem or a mug. Hot black coffee is poured into the glass. Whiskey and at least one level teaspoon of sugar (use 2 if you like your coffee sweeter) are stirred in until fully dissolved. The sugar is essential for floating liquid cream on top so don’t use any fake stuff such as “splenda”. Thick cream is carefully poured over the back of a spoon initially held just above the surface of the coffee and gradually raised a little. The layer of cream will float on the coffee without mixing. The coffee is drunk through the layer of cream, You DO NOT use a straw to drink Irish coffee!

Beef stewed in Guinness is being served through the weekend @ Le Patio and I’ll be making Irish Coffee too… Happy St Paddy’s Day!!