A dessert of memories, "evolved" in line with the chef's culinary exploration: Chef Matthias Kirchler himself tells us the story behind his "Grandma's Coffee," complete with the recipe.
"Many years ago, when we were kids, we used to visit my dad's grandmother every Sunday afternoon. Uncles, aunts, cousins, and sometimes even strangers would join us. Without fail, coffee was served for the adults and fruit juices for the kids, accompanied by cakes and fritters (moura blattlan), as well as Nutella-filled braided bread, and a large plate of cold cuts and cheeses at the center.
As the years went by, we all grew up, and there was less time to gather. In 2018, when grandma passed away, the gatherings dwindled even further, but I wanted to bring those memories into the kitchen. So, in early 2023, I attempted to create a chocolate mousse without chocolate, using barley instead: bringing back the flavors and aromas of the beverage, so reminiscent of grandma's coffee. The dish combines milk foam with barley cremeaux in place of coffee, and of course, the fritters, all in memory of those Sundays at grandma's." Matthias Kirchler, Chef at Lunaris Gourmet
Matthias Kirchler, Lunaris 1964 Gourmet's chef
Recipe for 8 people
For the barley base
- 500 g barley koji
- 500 ml cream
- 250 ml milk
Method
To prepare the barley base, roast the barley koji in an oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes. Incorporate the roasted barley into the cream while still warm, and refrigerate for 12 hours.
The next day, add the milk and blend until you obtain a smooth cream.
For the barley cremeaux
- 250 ml milk
- 250 ml cream
- 3 gelatin sheets
- 80 g organic egg yolks
- 40 g xilitol sugar
- 300 g barley base
Method
Soak the gelatin in ice water.
Heat the milk and cream with xylitol to 83°C and add the egg yolks.
Combine the gelatin and barley base.
Spread thinly on a tray and freeze.
Once frozen, break into pieces and store while keeping it frozen.
Note: Chef uses the aspergillus nalgiovense (the "noble mold" of salami) to create barley koji, in order to evoke the feeling of a cold cuts board from afternoon snacks. It's a complex process, but at home, it's easy to replicate the fritters and milk foam.
For the milk foam
- 600 ml reduced milk*
- 350 ml fermented milk**
- 170 ml fresh cream
- 1 g di gelespessa
*Reduced milk:
Simmer 2 liters of milk until reduced to 500 ml.
**Fermented milk:
Mix 250 ml fresh milk with 50 g buttermilk and let mature for 10 hours at 40°C.
Method
Blend all ingredients and strain.
Put 300 g of the base into a siphon and charge with a cartridge.
For the fritters
- 1 organic egg
- 1 organic egg yolk
- 200 g flour
- 100 ml fresh cream
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
Mix all ingredients into a smooth dough and let it rise in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
Roll out the dough as thin as possible with a rolling pin and fry at 160°C, forming spirals during frying.
Lastly, sprinkle with sugar.
Plating
In a deep plate, place the milk foam and cover with three pieces of barley cremeaux. Serve the fritters on the side.
All photos by Francesco De Marco
