We have supplied you with an entree, a beverage and a dessert which take tea into a whole new world of exotic flavors and adventurous ingredients.
Smoked Chicken Salad with Tea Vinaigrette
We use a boldly flavored black currant tea in an oil-free dressing to add depth of flavor to this main dish salad. Water chestnuts add crunch, and ripe pear and dried currants provide a sweet counterpoint to the smokiness of the chicken. If fresh, tiny, Champagne grapes are available, for an elegant touch, by all means substitute them for their dried brethren.
Yield: 4 lunch or light supper servings
The tea dressing:
1 Tbl. black currant tea leaves
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup buttermilk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
For the salad:
1 lb. smoked chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts, well drained and sliced
2 ripe but firm Bosc pears, peeled and slivered
1 cup dried currants, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes, and the drained.
The assembly:
1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried well, or 1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1. Make the dressing. Bring the apple juice to a boil. Add the tea leaves and let steep for about 5 minutes. Strain through fine sieve and place in a bowl. Allow to cool. Blend the mustard and buttermilk and then gradually add the cooled apple-juice-infused tea. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I like this with a generous amount of black pepper.)
2. Slice the chicken into long thin strips. Combine with the water chestnuts, pears, currants. Coat with half of the dressing. Place on a bed of butter lettuce or shredded Napa cabbage. Pour remaining dressing over each salad and serve immediately.
Iced Jasmine Tea with Lemongrass Syrup
Here two powerful Asian flavors meet in a glass. Perfect when the weather heats up, this simple drink shows off the flowery quality of the best jasmine tea from the Fujian region of China. Here in the south-eastern part of China, heat dried green tea leaves are layered at night with newly opened fragrant jasmine flowers plucked that morning. The subtle tang of lemongrass adds just the right edge of tartness.
Yield: 2 servings
The Lemongrass Syrup:
6 fat stalks of fresh lemongrass
2 cup granulated sugar
2 cup water
(Note: The above quantities will be enough to make plenty of syrup for other uses as well.)
The tea:
2 tbl. jasmine tea
1 quart cold water
Garnishes:
1 stalk lemongrass
1/4 of fresh pineapple, cored, thinly sliced into wedges
1. Make the syrup by bringing the sugar and water to a boil. When boiling, add the lemongrass stalks, which have been coarsely chopped and mashed with a mallet or rolling pin to release their flavor. Remove from the heat and allow to stand until cool. Strain through a fine sieve. Pour into a glass jar, cover and refrigerate. This will keep at least a month in the refrigerator and may also be used to flavor dressings, or drizzled over fresh starfruit, melon, pineapple, mango, papaya, or a combination of any or all of the preceeding.
2. Brew the tea by heating water to 180-185 degrees F. Allow to infuse for 3 minutes. Strain and reserve.
3. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the lemongrass syrup in each tall glass. Top with tea, add ice as desired. Garnish with a stick of lemongrass inserted into a thin wedge of fresh pineapple.
Green Tea-Poached Asian Pears with Pistachio-Cream Sauce, Edged with a Rumor of Mint
Here's a refreshing dessert with a touch of luxury that works year round. Its complex taste belies a simple method of preparation.
Yield: 4 Servings
4 Asian pears
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cup freshly brewed green tea
1 2" piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced into thin coins
Peel half an average sized lemon
1 large sprig fresh mint
Garnish:
Fresh mint leaves, if desired
1. Peel the pears and core with a corer or a small paring knife, being sure to remove the tart center core area of each. Place the sugar, green tea, gingerroot, lemon peel and mint in a medium-size saucepan large enough to hold the four pears in a single layer. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to just under a boil, or until the sugar is fully dissolved. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the peeled and cored pears. Coo for 15-20 minutes (the pears will remain firm). Allow to coolto room temperatureand then refrigerate, covered. Meanwhile make the Pistachio-Cream sauce.
Pistachio-Cream Sauce:
1 cup nonfat plain yogar, well drained
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1 cup shelled and skinned pistachios (natural, no coloring), coarsely chopped
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogart, buttermilk and maple syrup. Add the nuts and store mixture in refrigerator until serving time.
Assembly:
Just before serving, remove pears from poaching liquid, drain well and place one each in four chilled goblets. Mask with the sauce and serve immediately, garnished with fresh mint leaves, if desired.
Credit: Tea Basics - A Quick and Easy Guide by Wendy Rasmussen and Ric Rhinehart
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