LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – There is just something so comforting about a cup of tea, and February, with its occasional formidable weather, is a perfect month to indulge.
I’m absolutely fascinated by tea, whether white, green, fermented, smoked or otherwise. When herbal and floral tisanes are factored in, imbibing becomes a multi-faceted journey, one that can – for me – border on an obsession.
Tea has long been a pleasure of mine, but perhaps my stronger interest in it was birthed when, once upon a time, I taught a culinary class at a local tea shop, one that specialized in floral teas and flowery herbal tisanes.
Creating recipes with their inspired selection of brews stretched my awareness of what tea can be to cuisine. It doesn’t have to be relegated to the role of accompaniment; it can be the star of a meal, with flavor combinations limited only by your imagination.
All types of tea, however packaged, can be used in this way – loose leaves, tea in bags, powdered teas such as matcha, tea leaves ground at home (a dedicated coffee grinder or mortar and pestle are good for this), specialty teas like genmaicha (which includes puffed grains), smoked teas, tea blends and all manner of herbal tisanes can be fodder for your experimentation.
A favorite tea of mine is the floral blend sold at the Holy Assumption Monastery in Calistoga. While making a purchase there some years ago, I heard for the first time the term tea docent (as in, “our tea docent creates these blends”). I was immediately struck by the thought of such a blissful career.
Perhaps, if only for today, I can consider myself your tea-in-cuisine docent by providing some ideas as a starting point for you. Please read on, be inspired, and make your kitchen a place of experimentation for your own brand of tea-infused creations.
Today’s recipe is also below, a vegetable stir-fry with green tea layered throughout via infusion into the sauce as well as the rice served with it.
A Chinese proverb says, “Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary.” Perhaps that’s also true if we eat our daily cup.
Bake with tea
Floral and fruity Earl Grey or warm chai spices marry well with baked goods like pound cake, shortbread, or sugar cookies. Their mild sweetness provides a perfect backdrop for the flavor of tea. Other teas work well, too, such as green matcha, black tea, or tea flavored with flowers, like rose, jasmine or lavender.
Powdered tea, whether purchased in that form like matcha or ground at home, is perfect for this purpose. You can forego the vanilla and replace with the tea or, if using a strongly flavored tea, keep the vanilla for added flavor.
Experiment with strength when adding to the dough. Start with a teaspoon and increase – or not – to taste. Powdered tea sugar can be made to roll cookies in prior to baking; use ½ teaspoon tea powder to ½ cup sugar for this.
Infuse tea in dairy
Tea can be infused into milk or cream for a variety of applications. Add the tea (there’s no need to grind as whole leaves can be used) to the liquid and slowly heat to just below boiling. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool, then strain before using.
All manner of desserts can be made with tea-infused dairy, from panna cotta to bread pudding to cheesecake.
Sencha, a Japanese steamed green tea with vegetal, grassy notes, can add savory earthiness to a cream sauce, black tea can add unexpected bold flavor to crème brulee, and floral tisanes are lovely in ice cream or whipped cream toppings.
Flavor a stir-fry with tea
Green tea, black tea and ginger tea are popular additions to Asian-inspired stir fry dishes. Brewed tea can be used as a component in a sauce, or dry tea can be added like a spice directly to the pan.
Genmaicha, a Japanese green tea with the addition of puffed rice and corn, can add a nutty, earthy component to stir-fries.
To use, add to the pan first so the leaves and grains have a chance to get toasty; set aside and add back later when things are almost cooked through. For layering of flavors, try serving your stir-fry over rice or another grain cooked in tea.
Add tea to a rub for meat
Strongly flavored black tea leaves can be added to regular rub components like salt, brown sugar, and garlic. It adds a mystery flavor – a sort of “mmmmm, that’s good but what is it?” factor to the meat. Smoky lapsang souchong (a favorite tea of mine) is perfect for this.
Flavor and color pasta with tea
Adding green tea powder to pasta dough gives it a pretty pale green color and an earthy, herbaceous flavor.
Add to noodle soups – whether Asian-inspired or otherwise – or make a green-themed pasta dish with it by adding pesto and green vegetables.
Make tea butter
Add tea to room temperature butter (it needs to be soft and pliable) and mix until well blended. Roll the butter into a log and wrap well with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge (or freeze for long-term storage).
Butter medallions cut from the log can be used to baste meat, flavor vegetables (try adding to veggies when roasting) or to slather on toast.
For those of us who prefer plant-based eating, this can also be done with coconut oil.
Tea-infused butter or coconut oil can be used for cooking, too. (Note that powdered tea will change the color of the butter, while whole leaves will add streaky designs.)
Substitute tea for stock
Tea can be subbed wherever stock is used, such as in soups or stews or for cooking grains.
It was summertime when I taught the culinary class at the tea shop, so I created a cold peach soup using hibiscus tea.
Try rooibos tea with pumpkin soup or barley cooked in green tea. Adding black tea to a mushroom-wild rice soup adds an intensely interesting flavor.
Use tea as a marinade
Tea can be used alone as a marinade or added to other ingredients. I ran across a recipe for a chicken-eggplant stir-fry where the chicken was first marinated in black tea. If other flavors are used in the dish – such as hoisin sauce and soy sauce in this one – it’s important that the tea is strong enough to stand up to them and shine through.
I once tried a recipe for grilled green beans tossed with cocoa nibs – and now I’m envisioning how wonderful the flavor combination of cocoa and tea would be if the beans were marinated with black tea and balsamic vinegar first.
Use tea straight from the bag in place of spice
I made blueberry pancakes this morning, and in hindsight I realize that adding a light floral tea to the batter would have added an interesting complementary flavor.
Mint tea from the bag sprinkled into yogurt can make a quick and easy condiment for Indian or Middle Eastern dishes.
Chai tea would be wonderful sprinkled on roasted butternut squash or into a winter fruit salad.
Use tea as a poaching liquid
This can be used in sweet or savory ways – think pears poached in rooibos or chai tea or green tea poached fish or chicken.
Make simple syrup with tea
Flavorful simple syrup can be made by mixing equal parts brewed tea and sugar and reducing it on the stove to a syrupy consistency. Imagine the delight of lemonade sweetened with ginger tea-infused simple syrup or iced green tea with a fruity tea syrup like peach or raspberry.
A few months back I visited the Calistoga Farmers’ Market and happened upon a booth stacked high with locally made teas by the Napa Valley Tea Co.
I fell in love with their Divinitea, a naturally sweet blend of white and green teas with eight different fruits, making it perfect for this application. I’m looking forward to trying a bubbly tea soda with Divinitea syrup and sparkling water.
Add tea to smoothies
Add liquid or powdered tea to your morning smoothie for added antioxidants and flavor.
As mentioned, below is today’s recipe, a hearty and healthy vegetable stir-fry with tofu as the protein. If preferred, chicken may be substituted. Beef or pork might overshadow the subtle flavor of green tea.
Garlic and Ginger Green Tea Stir Fry
Ingredients:
4 green tea bags, brewed with 4 cups water
1 ½ cups jasmine rice
1 package extra firm tofu
1 yellow or purple onion
1 red pepper
1 carrot
3 stalks broccoli
½ pound mushrooms
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar (honey or agave nectar also work well)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions:
Prepare vegetables: Dice the onion, slice the pepper into strips, cut the carrot into matchsticks, cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and slice mushrooms.
Prepare the sauce: Combine ¼ cup of the brewed green tea, soy sauce, vinegar, ¼ cup of the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl.
Cook the rice according to package directions, substituting three cups of green tea for the water. Add ½ teaspoon salt, if desired.
Cut tofu into bite-sized cubes and heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tofu cubes on each side and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and add the onions and carrots and cook for two minutes. Add the red pepper, broccoli, and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional five minutes. Vegetables should be barely tender.
Whisk the sauce and pour over vegetables. Add browned tofu to the pan and cook all, stirring constantly, another two to three minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Serve over the green tea-infused jasmine rice. Makes six average or four large servings.
Recipe inspired by Jamie of “Love Bakes Good Cakes” and adapted by Esther Oertel.
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown.
https://lakeconews.com/news/68217-mensam-mundum-world-table-cooking-with-tea
2021-02-21 11:06:15Z
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