Most of the recipes in the Morning Journal are inspired by the flavour profiles of the capsules available in the Morning Marketplace.
Despite these flavour notes and profiles taking the form of coffees, we still believe that one can take inspiration from so much more—a favourite restaurant, a new food trend, or a television show.
Morning Renditions is a new series that aims to flip the script to create (or re-create!) coffee recipes inspired by both classic and modern pop culture.
And because we’re kicking this series off during the spooky season of Halloween, our first recipe is about everyone’s favourite fictional cannibalistic serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
Hannibal is portrayed as sophisticated and cultured, with refined tastes in art, music, and food. He does not bore, loves to amuse, and is a smart talker—essentially the perfect dinner guest (provided he didn't eat you after). Numerous scenes show Hannibal meticulously preparing beautifully-plated meals from his victim's flesh, and probably the most notable example is his admission of eating a census taker's liver "with some fava beans and a nice Chianti".
One of Hannibal Lecter’s favourite pairings, from Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Inspired by his love for gourmet ingredients and his penchant for food pairings, we've created a gruesome-looking dessert that is both 'trick' and 'treat'. Just in time for your Halloween party, come sink your teeth into Hannibal's "Liver" Pudding.
This recipe is also inspired by soy pudding desserts that are common across Asia. The pudding base resembles a blood-drained liver and is made with our favourite soymilk and some gelatin powder. In place of fava beans are red beans, a commonly-used topping, which also amps up the gore factor. For the brown sugar syrup, we've swapped out the water for a Kenyan espresso from Roastworks Coffee Co., which has a boozy and fruity profile—much like Hannibal's favourite wine.
Hannibal's "Liver" Pudding (Serves two)
Ingredients:
Pudding Base:
- 400ml of soymilk, preferably unsweetened
- 1 pack gelatin (ours was 7g in weight)
Red Bean Paste:
- 80g canned red kidney or Adzuki Beans, dry weight only
- 2 tsp white sugar
- Water
Coffee Sugar Syrup:
- 50g or ml of espresso (brewed from 2 capsules, around 25g or ml each)
- 50g raw or unrefined brown sugar (such as date palm or muscovado)
Preparation:
- For the pudding base, combine the soy milk and the gelatin powder. Cook according to package instructions. Our particular brand required "blooming" the powder with a small amount of hot liquid, before fully mixing it in. Pour into a shallow bowl and leave covered until set.
- For the red bean paste, simmer the red beans with sugar and enough water to submerge the mixture, stirring over low heat so it doesn't burn. Continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the beans turn mushy.
- For the coffee syrup, pull two shots of espresso and combine them with the brown sugar. You may mix it over low heat to incorporate better.
- All three components can be made in advance. They keep well in the fridge.
- Once the gelatin mixture has set, we are ready to assemble! Scoop some pudding into a small bowl, garnish with your mushy red beans, and pour the coffee syrup all around.
- Now put on some Bach, kick your feet up, and chomp away at your gruesome, gory masterpiece. Happy Halloween!
Recipe by Jon Choi @theheadbean