As the head chef of Sardinia’s Michelin-starred S’Apposentu, it’s clear that Roberto Petza knows how to cook. But he’s also incredibly passionate about coffee, which is why in 2014 he won a Lavazza Prime Award – an accolade given to chefs who take as much care over the end of meal espresso as the food itself. For this reason, he was chosen to host a Great Italian Chefs masterclass, in association with Lavazza, at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in London.
Treating coffee as an ingredient is becoming more and more common in both professional and home kitchens. The recipes no longer focus on creamy desserts, either – tiramisu is always going to be a popular classic, but coffee is now used in a savoury context. Italians are world famous for their coffee, so it makes sense that many of these recipes are being conceived in the country.
Here are five ways coffee is being used as an ingredient in cooking, with tips from Roberto, things we learnt at Le Cordon Bleu and some coffee recipes from other top chefs.