Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel visited the Northern Italian region of Piemonte, in the fall of 2016 and it was one of our most amazing tours! Staying in a villa in the hills of Alba we included visits to Asti, Loazzolo, Canelli, Turin, Genoa; sampling the wines of Barbolo and Barberesco; truffle hunting and walking tours of the cities of this icon Northern Italian region! We are planning our next tour for the fall of 2021 – stay turned for more information! In the meantime, I will be featuring a number of recipes from the region this fall. Let’s begin with the a classic beverage…
My photo was taken at Fiorio Cafè in Turin (Torino) which first opened their doors in 1780. Here we were introduced to the Bicerin, according to a local writer, “it is one of the most heavenly drinks you will ever have the pleasure of sipping! It warms, it wakes and it lulls, all in equal measure. Turin, is home to Bicerin, one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Unless you’ve been to Turin, chances are, you’ve never had, or perhaps, never even heard of, Bicerin, a hot, luscious drink of espresso, chocolate and milk or cream.” The second photo is of a liquid chocolate product sold in Turin (which I have at home and, unfortunately, can’t find online) in a bottle which resembles the Mole Antonelliana Tower, the symbol of Turin.
According to food52.com: “Meaning ‘little glass’ or biccherino, this is a decadent drink of thick melted chocolate and espresso with a layer of cream, barely whipped, like they do in Caffé al Bicerin, the eighteenth-century bar where it all started. Every historic café in Turin does Bicerin, but theirs, rightfully so, is exceptional and its recipe is a closely guarded secret. It is served in a wine glass balanced on a saucer, the cold fior di latte cream whisked by hand so that it isn’t so much whipped as it is thickened to just the right point where you don’t need to use a spoon to drink it. As the waitress carefully places the bicerin on the little marble table, she gently recommends to enjoy it without stirring—the first gulp is just cool, thick cream, suddenly followed by silky, warm, coffee-spiked chocolate. No wonder Ernest Hemingway said that the bicerin should be one of the hundred things in the world to save”.
BICERIN (Hot Chocolate with Coffee and Cream)
Ingredients:
1 ounce best-quality dark (at least 70%) chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2 fl oz freshly brewed espresso (double espresso)
2 teaspoons teaspoons granulated sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon bittersweet (unsweetened) cocoa powder
2 ½ fl oz / 1/3 cup) pouring (single/light) cream
Directions:
• Place the chocolate in a small bowl and pour the hot espresso over it. Stir gently until the chocolate melts.
• Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and add a splash of the coffee and chocolate mixture to make a smooth paste, ensuring there are no lumps. Then add the rest of the coffee mixture and heat gently over a low heat, just until the sugar dissolves and there are no more grains, 1–2 minutes. Do not let it boil. Pour the coffee hot chocolate into a glass.
• Place the cream in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake (alternatively, you can whisk it by hand in a bowl), until it thickens significantly but still has a pouring (and drinking) consistency. Marco (who used to be a barman during his university days) can do this in less than 10 seconds before it turns into whipped cream, which is not exactly what you want – I take longer, about 30 seconds, to get the cream to the right consistency. Just shake and check as you go, if you don’t know your own strength.
• Pour the cream into the glass, using a teaspoon to help the cream float in a layer – it will stop the flow of cream just hitting the bottom of the glass. The spoon should be barely touching the hot chocolate and make sure to not let the cream touch the side of the glass.
Recipe from Tortellini at Midnight by Emiko Davies
