Out of the Box - Recipes with Tea as an Ingredient

=======================================================

Sweet-Tea Ribs with Lemony Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 6 bags black tea (any kind)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 orange
• 2 racks baby back ribs (about 2 pounds)
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon

Directions

Empty 3 tea bags into a bowl and combine the loose tea with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grate in the orange zest. Pat the ribs dry and trim the membrane from the underside. Rub the tea mixture over the ribs; place in a roasting pan, meat-side up, and bring to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Steep the remaining 3 tea bags in 2 cups boiling water, about 5 minutes. Discard the bags and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and the juice of half the orange. Pour the mixture around the ribs in the pan. Cover with foil and roast until tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pot of salted water; bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Mix the mayonnaise and parsley in a large bowl. Grate in the zest of half the lemon; add the juice of the lemon half. Fold in the potatoes and add 11/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove the ribs from the oven and increase the temperature to 450. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Baste the ribs with some of the liquid, then return to the oven and cook, uncovered, basting a few times, until the ribs are dark and glazed, 20 to 30 minutes.

When the remaining liquid in the saucepan is syrupy, add lemon juice to taste. Brush the ribs with the glaze. Cut the racks into pieces and serve with the potato salad.

Tea Smoked Chicken

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup white rice
• 3 tablespoon Chinese black tea
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Shao-sing wine or medium-dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably dark (See Cook's Note)
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
• Sriracha sauce or other Asian chili sauce, to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions

Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly, and then crush in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle with the salt and five-spice powder until very fine. Rub seasoned salt all over the chicken thighs. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Bring the chicken to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.

Line the bottom of a wok, skillet or heavy pot with a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea and brown sugar together and mound on the foil. Set a steamer on top, and evenly space the chicken on the rack. Cover and cook over high heat. Hot smoke the chicken until smokey-brown colored and cooked through, about 12 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, whisk the Shao-sing wine or sherry, soy, ginger, and sesame together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Brush over cooked chicken.

To serve: Dice the chicken into very small pieces. Toss with the scallions and peanuts in a medium bowl. Cut the lettuce leaves into 40 squares or triangular scoops. Place a drop of Sriracha on top of each lettuce cup, and top with about 2 teaspoons of the diced chicken. Squeeze lime juice over the top, and drizzle the remaining soy-ginger sauce over the chicken. Serve.

Cook's Note: Dark soy sauce is thicker and lightly sweeter tasting than other soys. It adds a depth of flavor that is great with the chicken. It can be found in Asian markets or supermarkets with a good Asian section.

Tea Cakes with Earl Grey Icing

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Icing:

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 bags Earl Grey tea

Directions

Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until smooth, then remove the bowl; keep the water simmering in the saucepan. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, flour and salt; mix into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla until smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cakes spring back when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, make the icing: Whisk the sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and salt by hand in the bowl of a stand mixer. Empty the tea bags and add the loose tea to the bowl, then set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag, snip the corner and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.

High-Tea Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 bags black tea (preferably English breakfast or orange pekoe)
• 6 ounces gin
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 5 dashes orange bitters
• Orange and/or lemon twists, for garnish

Directions

Toast the cardamom pods in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups water, the sugar and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes.

Strain the syrup into a glass measuring cup; if you have less than 2 cups syrup, add hot water. Add the tea bags and steep, about 3 minutes. Discard the bags and cool the syrup to room temperature (don't squeeze the bags or the syrup will taste tannic).

Combine the syrup, gin, vermouth and bitters in a large cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until frothy, about 15 seconds, then pour into a pitcher filled with ice. Garnish with orange and/or lemon twists.

Chai Ice Tea

Ingredients

• 8 chai tea bags
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup honey
• Ice cubes

Directions

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the bags, stir in the milk and honey and chill in a pitcher for at least 1 hour. Serve over ice.

Source: Food Network