72 JANUARY 2021
Chicory roots have long been dried, roasted, and ground to make a bitter drink
that resembles coffee but without any caffeine. The Dutch developed methods
for making a chicory root beverage in the 1700s. In 1766, Frederick the Great,
who ruled the Kingdom of Prussia, banned the sale of coffee. He feared that
an increased consumption of imported coffee over German beer would cause
economic troubles, so his subjects were left to drink a coffee alternative, made
from Prussian-grown chicory root. In the next century, Napoleon created a large-
scale embargo against British trade, including coffee, to promote consumption of
French products, and chicory coffee became a popular drink in France. It stayed
popular after Napoleon’s system collapsed in 1814, traveling with the French to
Louisiana, which is how New Orleans–style coffee came to be. Its place in the
city was cemented when, during the American Civil War, Confederate ports were
blockaded, making imports like coffee scarce. Southerners stretched the coffee
they had with ground chicory and dandelion roots. While chicory coffee is prized
for its taste, it comes with health benefits, too: Chicory roots are high in inulin,
a dietary fiber that has been proven to benefit gut health and lower cholesterol.
just
brew it
Vietnamese Flan with
Chicory Coffee
ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 3 HR 30 MIN
SERVES 8
The dark-roasty flavor of chicory coffee
in the custard balances the sweetness
of this creamy, make-ahead dessert.
1 /^2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. water
11 / 2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp. ground coffee with chicory
(such as Café du Monde Coffee
and Chicory)
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened
condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1 /^2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 /^4 tsp. kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook sugar
and 2 tablespoons water in a small
saucepan over medium-high, stirring
once, until sugar mixture turns golden
in color, about 5 minutes. Pour caramel
evenly into 8 (6- to 8-ounce) ramekins
(about 2 teaspoons each). Set aside.
2. While caramel cooks, bring whole
milk just to a boil in a small saucepan
over medium-high. Remove from heat;
stir in ground coffee, and let steep 1 0
minutes. Pour through a fine wire-mesh
strainer into a bowl; discard solids.
3. Whisk together condensed milk,
egg yolks, vanilla, and salt in a medium
bowl until smooth. Gradually add
warm coffee milk, whisking constantly
until well blended. Ladle evenly over
caramel in ramekins.
4. Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan.
Pour warm water to a depth of 1 inch
into pan. Bake in preheated oven until
custards are just set and centers jiggle
slightly, about 30 minutes. Remove
ramekins from pan; let cool on a wire
rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate until
completely chilled, about 2 hours.
5. To unmold from ramekins, run a
metal spatula or butter knife around
flan. Invert onto each of 8 small plates.
—MARY CELINE BUI, VAN DA, NEW YORK
CITY
MAKE AHEAD Flan can be made and
refrigerated up to 2 days ahead.
