Time for seconds
Where: Oakura Village Cafe & Restaurant (revisit)
Coffee count: 8 out of 10
Barista: Abi Matthews
Beans: Ozone Coffee, Fairtrade blend
The buzz: It was a bit of a mission to review this week's flat white. The first day, the coffee was so hot it steamed up the lens of my phone camera (a first) and the picture was too fuzzy to use. so I had to trudge back the next day. Isn't life tough? The second effort was much more palatable in flavour and temperature. The froth on top was the texture of uncooked meringue, but there was too little of it. There was also a shortage of crema, but the overall taste of this coffee shone through. It was nutty, earthy and possessed that elusive aftertaste, the delicious one that is tongue- tapping good. This was a full- bodied coffee, but mellow - just perfect for a laid-back Sunday afternoon at Oakura.
quick fix: Here's a recipe for long, hot summer days (one can hope) - Espresso and Vanilla Pod Ice Cream. Ingredients: 1 vanilla pod, 275ml cream, 4 large egg yolks, 2 tsp (rounded) custard powder, 50g caster sugar, 275ml creme fraiche, four shots of cold espresso. Method: split vanilla pod lengthways and, using the end of a teaspoon, scoop seeds into a mixing bowl. Next, pour cream into a saucepan, add the pod and then carefully heat cream to just below boiling point. meanwhile, add egg yolks, custard powder and sugar to the mixing bowl with the vanilla seeds and whisk until smooth. Pour the hot cream on to this mixture, discarding the pod, and whisk as you pour. Return the custard to the saucepan and whisk over a medium heat (no hotter) until thickened and again has just reached boiling point. Pour into a bowl, whisk until smooth and leave to cool, then place in fridge until cold. Fold creme fraiche and espresso into the custard and pour mixture into an ice-cream maker or put in the freezer and whisk every hour until creamy and frozen. for an extra kick, serve in a glass with a shot of espresso poured over it.
Source: Taranaki Daily News