Café au lait is a French coffee drink prepared by mixing coffee and scalded (not steamed) milk. It is similar to Italian latte, but with coffee instead of espresso and with scalded insted of steamed milk.

It is a staple of the Café du Monde, the legendary coffee shop in the French Quarter section of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Detailed recipe

Use a drip brew machine with filter. Pour the small amount of almost boiling water over the strong brew of Coffee and Chicory in the upper pot and wait 30 seconds. Then pour the rest of almost boiling water and wait until it drains to preferably pre-warmed cup (the best is to use quite large mugs of almost bowl shape).

Add scalded (not boiled) milk. It is even better to make the coffee in some other cup and then pour the milk and the coffee simultaneously to the serving cup.

Notes:

• There should be equal amounts of milk and coffee.
• Preferred ratio of 2.0 US gallons per 13 ounces (10 L/kg) of Coffee and Chicory.