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Wiener Melange
Wiener Melange: a mild espresso softened with hot milk and a cloud of foam, the everyday cup of the Viennese Kaffeehaus
In Vienna you never simply order 'a coffee'; you order by name, and the Melange is the one most Viennese ask for. It arrives in a large cup on a small silver tray with a glass of water and often a tiny chocolate, and you may sit over it for an hour with the newspapers at Café Prückel or Hawelka, mid-morning or after lunch. Traditionally it is a mild, longer espresso (a Verlängerter) with roughly equal hot milk and a soft cap of milk foam; it is gentler than a cappuccino and the foam is looser and creamier. Expect a round, nutty, slightly sweet cup with little bitterness. The common mistake is overheating the milk: once it passes about 70 °C it smells cooked and loses its sweetness and the foam turns big-bubbled and dry. Stop when the jug is too hot to hold for more than a second or two. It is ready when the foam sits in a smooth, glossy dome about a finger thick and the coffee shows as a brown ring at the edge. One cup has about the caffeine of a single espresso. Chef's tip: always serve the glass of water alongside, as Vienna does; it is drunk first to clear the palate.
- Total time
- 6 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
- ¼ oz finely ground coffee for espressoa medium roast
- 2 ½ tbsp hot waterto lengthen the espresso
- ¾ cup whole milkcold from the fridge
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)served on the side
- 1 glass of cold water (optional)to serve
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Warm a large (200 ml) cup with hot water and tip it out. Pull a single espresso from the ¼ oz finely ground coffee for espresso into the cup, then add the 2 ½ tbsp hot water so the coffee is milder and longer, about 70 ml in all.
1 minStep 2: Steam the ¾ cup whole milk with a steam wand, keeping the tip just under the surface for the first few seconds to draw in air, then lower it to heat. Stop at about 149°F, when the jug is too hot to hold comfortably. No steamer? Heat the milk in a small pan to steaming but not simmering and froth it with a whisk or frother.
2 minStep 3: Tap the jug and swirl until the foam looks glossy. Pour the hot milk into the coffee, holding back the foam with a spoon, until the cup is three-quarters full.
1 minStep 4: Spoon the foam on top in a soft dome and serve at once with 1 tsp sugar on the side and the 1 glass of cold water.
0 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 105 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wiener Melange take?
- About 6 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 4 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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