For more than a century, both Antoine’s and Galatoire’s, in New Orleans, have been serving refined French-Creole cuisine in their gilded dining rooms. The epitome of their old-world, over-the-top grandeur? Café Brûlot . A server ladles flaming brandy-spiked coffee down a spiral of orange zest into a silver bowl heated by a ring of fire. Don’t try that at home. Here, we ignite the spice- and citrus-infused spirits in the saucepan, add the coffee, and serve the glowing drink in demitasse cups. It’s a less risky—but equally astounding—spectacle.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 min
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Remove zest from orange in a single spiral with a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife. Stud orange zest with cloves. Add to a wide heavy medium saucepan with brandy, liqueur, lemon zest, cinnamon, and sugar. Warm through over medium heat, stirring. Tilt pan over gas burner (or use a long match) to ignite carefully (flames will shoot up). While flames subside, slowly pour in hot coffee. Ladle into small cups (preferably demitasse).
