I’m always fascinated by anecdotes like how the coffee bean was discovered; and try to imagine the set of circumstances that first made someone eat cashew nuts, which have a toxic casing. So when I find a recipe where the ingredients, on face value, appear to be a bizarre combination, like Coffee Mushroom Cream Sauce https://bit.ly/1NhSl51, I simply have to try it!
Coffee Mushroom Cream Sauce
Makes 2½ cups
Ingredients
475 ml whipping cream
½ cup coffee beans
3 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
450g button or portabellini mushrooms, quartered
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 In a medium saucepan, bring cream and coffee beans to a simmer over high heat. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
2 In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until browned and softened, about 10 minutes.
3 Pour reserved cream through a strainer into pan with mushrooms; discard coffee beans. Simmer until cream is reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with roast chicken and egg noodles.