Vintage Vittles Vednesday

You know me, I have a slight obsession with coffee. Coffee is my constant companion and friend. I have a book called Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining- How to have guests and enjoy them. In it there is a section on coffee and includes recipes and methods of preparation. The proper time and place for coffee is discussed in detail and examples of poor and proper etiquette by guests and hostess are also given. It's super uptight but reminds me how much easier we have it today!
 For this recipe I did a little more research. Partly because I am fascinated by this brewing process and partly because I know that a lot of people (non-Scandinavians of course) have never heard of it. I have had it before and my sister has been known to make it every now and then.  

Egg Coffee

Beat 1 egg and 2 tbs water. Stir 2 tbs of the egg mixture into 3/4 cup regular grind coffee. Add cold water to completely moisten grounds. Put in coffeepot and add 6 cups cold fresh water. Stir. Bring to full boil. Stir again. Remove from heat. Add dash of cold water. Strain and serve. Makes 6-8 cups of coffee.

I find this recipe to be a little vague so I did a little digging and found some tips. Here is a rundown.

Start with an enamel coffee pot or a sauce pan on the stove. Bring your water (6-9 cups depending on the size of the pot and the number of people you are serving) to a boil. Meanwhile  beat one egg (you can include the egg shells if you like-some say this helps with the "bitterness" and "acidity") and add to the appropriate amount of coffee grounds (2 tbs per cup of water for a medium-strong brew) mixing until combined.
Once your water is boiling add egg/coffee mixture to water (you may need to turn down the heat to prevent it from boiling over). Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat. The grounds and egg will have cooked into a lump, floating at the top of the pot. Add 1 cup of cold water and simmer for 10 minutes. The egg/coffee ground lump will settle to the bottom of the pot eliminating a need for a filter! You can continue to simmer the pot and the coffee will become stronger without turning bitter! What a concept!

Try it out and let me know your thoughts!