Cooking With Tea

[Corinna Dunne]

As it happens, there was a very interesting recipe using tea on a British TV show last night. The show is called The Great British Menu and is a competition to see which British chef will cook for a roomfull of leading critics and chefs in the British Embassy in Paris.

Marcus Wareing, a protege of Gordon Ramsay's and head chef of Michelin 2* restaurant Petrus in London, came up with a very interesting British inspired dessert, using milk infused with Earl Grey tea to make a baked custard. It was served in a cappuccino cup, finished with a foam and there was a side plate of Eccles cakes (also very British).

Click here for the recipe and to see more about the show.

BTW, welcome to the Cooking Forum sp1187.

[Beebs]

Tea Eggs! Mum used to make these. She took hard boiled eggs, cracked the shell lightly all over, then soaked them in a marinade of soy sauce, spices, and black tea. The tea soaks through the cracks in the shell so when you peel it off, it leaves a pretty spiderweb pattern on the egg.

[baroness]

I use flavored teas in baking, instead of milk or fruit juices.

A local Chinese restaurant makes 'Chicken in Spicy Tea Sauce'; would love to find that recipe!

[paulraphael]

I flavoered a creme anglaise with lapsang souchong tea once.

The sauce was delicious, but I wasn't completely convinced by the whole dish (i served it with a pear tart).

I need to think of something that would work better with the smoky flavors.

I also made a green tea infused creme anglaise once. I forget what I served it with. My local tea shop (porto rico importers) has a huge selection of teas and they let me stick my nose into the tins. A lot of the green teas smell like freshly cut grass (more or less), and this wasn't what I wanted. I picked one that had a more delicate, herbal smell. The sauce was nice ... not much of a stretch, considering how common green tea ice cream has become.

[Chufi]

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I made these scallops in Lapsang Souchong broth last week. The recipe is here (thanks Abra!), except I made it with a bit more liquid because we were having it as a soup and not as a dish with rice. It was really good and made me wonder why I don't use tea as an ingredient more often!

[Sam Salmon]

Carrying along in this general vein I have a question for all the talented and helpful individuals here.

Sometimes I cure a Salmon fillet in 50/50 salt/sugar for 24 hrs before cooking it in a Stovetop Smoker.

How long to leave the fillet in a Tea solution similar to that posted in the Shrimp recipe to then cook the same way?

Note-these are regular sized Coho/Sockeye or Spring Salmon fillets not huge but not small either.

[k43]

Tea leaf smoked duck is one of my favorite Chinese dishes.

A duck is rubbed with browned Sichuan peppercorns, black peppercorns and salt and refrigerated for a day. The next day, it's steamed and then smoked in a foil-lined wok over black and jasmine tea leaves, a little rice and brown sugar. It's then refrigerated for a couple of days and then deep fried and chopped into serving pieces.

It's really only for banquets, since it's cloying to eat as a main course, but a couple of pieces are an amazing part of a mix of dishes.

Edited May 20, 2007 by k43 (log)

[Naftal]

I know that tea is used in many other ways besides its use as a beverage.I see it used in any number of products when I go to the local Japanese market. But, I am unsure as to how these delights are made. I would be interested hearing from anyone with experience in this.

( As an aside, I have read and heard from others that Lapsang Souchong can be ground in a spice-mill and used to give fish a smokey flavor. Has anyone done this?)

Edited August 30, 2008 by Naftal (log)

[nakji]

A couple of things come to mind here. First, confections flavoured with matcha - such as cake - is quite popular in Japan. My personal favourite, and I'm hanging my head a little bit here in shame, is the matcha Meltykiss - a kind of soft chocolate with a matcha filling. I think the bitterness complements chocolate quite well. On the savoury end of the spectrum, I've eaten duck smoked with tea leaves in Beijing, which was beautiful - very fragrant and clean tasting - it cut the richness of the duck. I have no idea how it's made, though.

[chefdavid321]

When I was living in Thailand I knew an amazing cook from Burma who would make a fresh tea leaf dish which was amazing. I'd love to find some fresh tea leaves and try and replicate it.

Tea smoking is a common practice. Line a stovetop smoker or a wok with some foil (very important) and mix together some tea leaves, sugar, and white rice. Set some salmon, chicken, duck, etc. on a rack above the mixture and smoke on high heat. It's really good

[nakji]

Tea smoking is a common practice. Line a stovetop smoker or a wok with some foil (very important) and mix together some tea leaves, sugar, and white rice. Set some salmon, chicken, duck, etc. on a rack above the mixture and smoke on high heat. It's really good

That sounds really easy to do - I'd love to try it, but does it require a really tough kitchen exhaust fan? I live in an apartment, and I wouldn't want to smoke the place out. I'm especially interested in tea-smoked salmon.

[chefdavid321]

Tea smoking is a common practice. Line a stovetop smoker or a wok with some foil (very important) and mix together some tea leaves, sugar, and white rice. Set some salmon, chicken, duck, etc. on a rack above the mixture and smoke on high heat. It's really good

That sounds really easy to do - I'd love to try it, but does it require a really tough kitchen exhaust fan? I live in an apartment, and I wouldn't want to smoke the place out. I'm especially interested in tea-smoked salmon.

←

I live in an apartment too and can't cook like I'd like to because of the alarm. I don't understand why the hoods in apartments are so useless....however, having used a stovetop smoker at work, they seal up pretty good and minimal smoke is released. I've used a recipe for tea smoked salmon from Ming Tsai that was really amazing. Also, ive tea smoked salmon cured for 2 days to make a very sweet and savory dish.

[tsquare]

We had a chocolate tart with earl grey tea and blackberries that was quite good. Cooked fresh berries in tea, smooshed 'em and strained them. Add good dark chocolate until thick. There may have been some additional ingredients - this was how the chef described it. The filling was poured into a date/nut crust and chilled.

[baroness]

A local Chinese restaurant serves Chicken in Spicy Tea Sauce -- delicious, but not spicy to my taste.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks for starting this topic, Naftal. You may find this topic on Chinese Tea Eggs of interest.

[andiesenji]

I have this bookEat Tea that I bought several years ago when first published.

Also this book Tea Cuisine that I bought last year around Easter.

I have prepared dishes from both and find them equally useful for ideas, not always using the recipes exactly as written but using tea in similar recipes with usually excellent results.

One of the tea books I have has a lovely recipe for jellies made with tea - very pretty as well as very tasty.

Also one has a recipe for Chai tea ice cream that is excellent.

I have noted on other threads that I often use lapsang souchong to impart a smoky flavor to various foods. It gives a more subtle flavor than the concentrated commercial smoke flavoring and works with delicate foods that would not take to actual smoking.

I find that many of the fruit-based tea blends work well as a base for marinades or dressings for fruit salads, pasta salads, etc.

Edited September 1, 2008 by andiesenji (log)

[Naftal]

When I was living in Thailand I knew an amazing cook from Burma who would make a fresh tea leaf dish which was amazing.  I'd love to find some fresh tea leaves and try and replicate it. 

Tea smoking is a common practice. Line a stovetop smoker or a wok with some foil (very important) and mix together some tea leaves, sugar, and white rice.  Set some salmon, chicken, duck, etc.  on a rack above the mixture and smoke on high heat.  It's really good

←

That is very interesting !I was wondering:How would this be done in a wok?

[Naftal]

We had a chocolate tart with earl grey tea and blackberries that was quite good. Cooked fresh berries in tea, smooshed 'em and strained them. Add good dark chocolate until thick. There may have been some additional ingredients - this was how the chef described it. The filling was poured into a date/nut crust and chilled.

←

Amazing, tea and chocolate, what is more wonderful than that?

[Naftal]

I have this bookEat Tea that I bought several years ago when first published.

Also this book Tea Cuisine that I bought last year around Easter.

I have prepared dishes from both and find them equally useful for ideas, not always using the recipes exactly as written but using tea in similar recipes with usually excellent results.

One of the tea books I have has a lovely recipe for jellies made with tea - very pretty as well as very tasty.

Also one has a recipe for Chai tea ice cream that is excellent.

I have noted on other threads that I often use  lapsang souchong to impart a smoky flavor to various foods.  It gives a more subtle flavor than the concentrated commercial smoke flavoring and works with delicate foods that would not take to actual smoking. 

I find that many of the fruit-based tea blends work well as a base for marinades or dressings for fruit salads, pasta salads, etc.

←

These books sound very interesting. Who are the authors?

[andiesenji]

I have this bookEat Tea that I bought several years ago when first published.

Also this book Tea Cuisine that I bought last year around Easter.

I have prepared dishes from both and find them equally useful for ideas, not always using the recipes exactly as written but using tea in similar recipes with usually excellent results.

One of the tea books I have has a lovely recipe for jellies made with tea - very pretty as well as very tasty.

Also one has a recipe for Chai tea ice cream that is excellent.

I have noted on other threads that I often use  lapsang souchong to impart a smoky flavor to various foods.  It gives a more subtle flavor than the concentrated commercial smoke flavoring and works with delicate foods that would not take to actual smoking. 

I find that many of the fruit-based tea blends work well as a base for marinades or dressings for fruit salads, pasta salads, etc.

←

These books sound very interesting. Who are the authors?

←

Just click on the links in my post to see. They are both by Joanna Pruess and John Harney (of Harney & Sons Tea)

and Tea Cuisine is actually an updated version of the first book.

It was my error to post both of them. I meant to include Cooking With Tea by Robert Wemischner and Diana Rosen. It is out of print but available from ABE Books

From Tea Cuisine one of my favorite recipes is Peach and Ginger-Glazed Chicken Legs.

A favorite side dish is Curried Potatoes, Cauliflower, and Mushrooms, which is prepared with Lapsang souchong tea.

And there is a Candied Ginger and Green Tea Bread that is very easy and very tasty whether made for breakfast, lunch, tea or an evening snack.

And for hot weather, there is Buttermilk-Vanilla Tea Sherbet - which requires an ice cream freezer but even the small hand-cranked ones with the bowl that is chilled in the freezer, works very well.

There is a Gravlax recipe that uses Lapsang souchong tea, however I'm allergic to many seafoods so have never tried it but one of the people on the tea list did and reported it was excellent.

The recipes in the books gave me ideas on how tea could be incorporated into other recipes so I experimented and found several that worked for me.

There are other books on cooking with tea, cooking with green tea, but I have not examined them.

[Naftal]

I have this bookEat Tea that I bought several years ago when first published.

Also this book Tea Cuisine that I bought last year around Easter.

I have prepared dishes from both and find them equally useful for ideas, not always using the recipes exactly as written but using tea in similar recipes with usually excellent results.

One of the tea books I have has a lovely recipe for jellies made with tea - very pretty as well as very tasty.

Also one has a recipe for Chai tea ice cream that is excellent.

I have noted on other threads that I often use  lapsang souchong to impart a smoky flavor to various foods.  It gives a more subtle flavor than the concentrated commercial smoke flavoring and works with delicate foods that would not take to actual smoking. 

I find that many of the fruit-based tea blends work well as a base for marinades or dressings for fruit salads, pasta salads, etc.

←

These books sound very interesting. Who are the authors?

←

Just click on the links in my post to see. They are both by Joanna Pruess and John Harney (of Harney & Sons Tea)

and Tea Cuisine is actually an updated version of the first book.

It was my error to post both of them. I meant to include Cooking With Tea by Robert Wemischner and Diana Rosen. It is out of print but available from ABE Books

From Tea Cuisine one of my favorite recipes is Peach and Ginger-Glazed Chicken Legs.

A favorite side dish is Curried Potatoes, Cauliflower, and Mushrooms, which is prepared with Lapsang souchong tea.

And there is a Candied Ginger and Green Tea Bread that is very easy and very tasty whether made for breakfast, lunch, tea or an evening snack.

And for hot weather, there is Buttermilk-Vanilla Tea Sherbet - which requires an ice cream freezer but even the small hand-cranked ones with the bowl that is chilled in the freezer, works very well.

There is a Gravlax recipe that uses Lapsang souchong tea, however I'm allergic to many seafoods so have never tried it but one of the people on the tea list did and reported it was excellent.

The recipes in the books gave me ideas on how tea could be incorporated into other recipes so I experimented and found several that worked for me.

There are other books on cooking with tea, cooking with green tea, but I have not examined them.

←

Thanks, so much for this information. I would love to know more about your experiments.

[chefdavid321]

When I was living in Thailand I knew an amazing cook from Burma who would make a fresh tea leaf dish which was amazing.  I'd love to find some fresh tea leaves and try and replicate it. 

Tea smoking is a common practice. Line a stovetop smoker or a wok with some foil (very important) and mix together some tea leaves, sugar, and white rice.  Set some salmon, chicken, duck, etc.  on a rack above the mixture and smoke on high heat.  It's really good

←

That is very interesting !I was wondering:How would this be done in a wok?

←

put some foil down in a wok, if you don't you will ruin the wok. place the sugar/rice/ tea combo in the foil. Place your food in a bamboo steamer or put 2-3 chopsticks in the wok (bamboo, not plastic) and place the food on a plate. The chopsticks will hold the plate above the foil. Put the wok cover on and place over high heat. I recommend using the chopstick & plate method because the bamboo steamer will end up smelling like smoke.

[jfield]

My training is generally in baking and pastry, so I am not very familiar with using tea for savory applications (although I've seen it done). The fish smoking is a really intriguing way to introduce tea on the hot side, and I've been enjoying reading the thread.

I did make a very light and refreshing Earl Grey granita to go with a lemon sabayon tart. (My take on Earl Grey with lemon) That was really tasty--Strong Earl Grey, simple syrup and a pinch of salt, stir every once in awhile as it's freezing to get really large ice crystals. It would also make a nice palate cleanser.

I've also made ginger-hibiscus sorbet, based on hibiscus "tea"--steeping fresh ginger in with dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, some corn syrup and a pinch of salt. Froze it then spun it in the PacoJet. Really tasty.

[Naftal]

Thanks all - From my reading , it seems that a tea sauce begins with tea, cream and a stock. Then, it is seasoned to go with the food it is being used on. Has this been your experience? Also, for the pros out there, could I use yogurt(drained?) instead of the cream?I know this would change the tast, but would it work in other ways? Please let me know.

[Gregory Glancy]

On the tea & chocolate idea, I have had excellent results with steeping real Lapsang Souchong leaves (not the powdery liquid smoke tasting teabag type) in the cream used for making a firm ganache for truffles. I just add the tea to the cream when it is cold and heat it slowly over a double boiler until it gets hot. I get the most pleasant results that way...it seems like the results are too smoky and harsh if I steep the tea in cream that is already hot for whatever reason. Then I just strain off the tea leaves and use the cream in the ganache as I normally would. I always add some kind of chile pepper to this, too. The spicy and smoky with the bittersweet of the chocolate is awesome IMHO.

This works well with scented teas like Jasmine or Osmanthus, too. I just tend to leave out the chiles.

Greg