Crushing an egg (shell and all), whisking it with freshly ground coffee, and boiling the mixture sounds gross. The result looks terrifying, too - like a hideous swamp creature gurgling in your pot.
However, the umber-red-colored drink that results, called "egg coffee," is almost free of bitter tannins and packs an extra-strong dose of caffeine.
I first heard about egg coffee from an article by Joy Summers at Eater, which explains how the US recipe came to Minnesota via Scandinavian immigrants. The goal? Turn weak, subpar coffee and hard water into a beverage greater than the sum of its parts.
New York City has great tap water, and you can find high-quality beans pretty much anywhere nowadays. But with the weather cooling and my curiosity piqued, I decided to try brewing my own egg coffee.
Here's how I made it and what I learned during the process.