The new foodie trend to “drink in” is tea*. Chefs far and wide are experimenting with tea leaves in their cuisine. Think of them as you would any other fresh herb, such as parsley or chives. The exact amount you add to a recipe is open to interpretation and limited only by your taste buds…
Of course, cooking with tea need not be confined to side dishes or desserts. Let your imagination guide you and experiment with tea or tea leaves to make a memorable main course! Start with a tablespoon or two, and add more if you want a stronger tea flavor. Here are some combinations to try to get you started:
-Darjeeling tea as a pork seasoning
-Oolong tea to perk up deviled eggs
-Lemon grass tea for soups and pasta
Or, you can brew a pint of tea and use it as a brine for poultry, such as game hens or chicken breasts. Brew the tea, then once it has cooled, stir in salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, or any other seasonings to taste. Pour the mixture into a plastic resealable bag, add your poultry (or pork, or even tofu) and place in the refrigerator to brine. Cook as desired.
An All Tea Menu
Hors d’oeuvre: Tea-Marbled Eggs
3 cups water
8 small eggs (or 24 quail eggs)
4 tea bags of black tea or 2 tbs. of loose-leaf black tea, e.g. Keemun
1 tbs. kosher salt
Cover the eggs in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove eggs with slotted spoon, reserving the water. Place eggs in cold water to cool and, when they’re comfortable enough to handle, gently tap the eggs all over with the back of a teaspoon to make cracks. Add tea leaves to the reserved water and then place the eggs back in gently and add the salt. Simmer covered for an hour. Take the pot off the stove and leave the eggs in tea water to soak for 30 more minutes. Remove eggs and allow them to cool before removing the shells. The eggs will then have a cobweb of brown lines not unlike those found on fine marble. Halve them and sprinkle with paprika and minced parsley for added color. If using smaller eggs, no garnish is necessary.
It’s important to have a good kitchen exhaust fan for this recipe as it does “smoke”. Here we used chicken wings, but 3-4 lbs. of thighs work just as well! Serve with sprinkled sesame seeds atop. Great with peanut or mustard sauce…
Side Dish: Green Beans with Garlic and Tea
1 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs. Keemun tea leaves, brewed in two cups of spring water
Steam green beans in water. While beans are steaming, saute minced garlic in one tsp. of canola oil until opaque. Add brewed tea and simmer with garlic for a few minutes. Remove beans from steamer and put in a large bowl. Pour tea marinade over drained beans. Garnish with toasted almond slices, as desired. Serve immediately.
This recipe is from the late Cordon Bleu-trained chef Nat Litt, of The House of Tea in Philadelphia. It takes about 45 minutes in the oven to come together:
Dessert: Orange Pekoe & Grand Marnier Souffle
From Pastry Chef Alan Gontowski, created in honor of Samuel Twining, OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), using Twinings Orange Pekoe. Chef Gonowski served this souffle in molded chocolate tea cups, made in cupcake tins with handles of rolled chocolate attached. It is just as attractive (and delicious) made in individual ramekins.
1/2 c. water
2 tbs. Grand Marnier
1/2 c. heavy cream
10 tbs. granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 Twinings Orange Pekoe tea bags
Whip heavy cream with 2 tbs. sugar and refrigerate. Separate eggs and add 4 tbs. of sugar to the yolks and whip until thickened and light yellow in color. Set aside. Whip egg whites to a light foam and slowly add the remaining 4 tbs. of sugar, whipping until stiff peaks are formed. Heat water and steep tea bags, and leave to brew for four minutes. Squeeze bags to draw out all the flavorful liquor of the brewed tea. Place tea on the stove and bring to a boil; simmer at medium heat uncovered until reduced two-thirds. Remove from heat and cool. Place yolk mixture in a double boiler with tea liquid and temper over warm water until the tea liquid reaches a ribbon stage. Pour into a large mixing bowl and fold in egg whites, then fold in chilled cream. Add Grand Marnier and pour entire mixture into a souffle mold, ramekins or chocolate cups. Refrigerate.
Rooibos Raises Yeast Rolls To New Heights
Rooibos Raisin Rolls include rooibos tea leaves to impart a unique flavor to a raisin yeast roll. Bake the rolls at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or cool, with your favorite tea!
Loose Leaf Tea Lends Flavor To Quick Breads
There’s no trick to knowing how to cook with loose leaf tea. Think of loose leaf tea the same way you think of a spice, such as cinnamon, or a seasoning, such as basil or oregano. Just grind the tea up like spices before adding them to recipes.
Your favorite loose leaf tea lends itself especially well to baked goods such as quick breads like this Banana Bread shown above, and muffins.
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*Recipes courtesy of sallybernstein.com
