Tea is the second most-consumed beverage in the world, but often they are overlooked when it comes to cooking. Different flavors of tea provide a unique flavor profile and personality. They can add a touch of exotic essence to flavors of your favorite dishes.
Cooking with Tea
Tea can be used in so many ways in everyday meals. You can use cups of brewed tea as a broth for soups, or you can infuse tea leaves directly into things like the milk for ice cream.
Start by adding just a small amount of brewed Ceylon tea or a pinch of finely ground tea leaves in tea bags as your preference. As you get a feel for using tea as an ingredient, try increasing the volume of brewed tea or finely ground tea leaves.
Brewing the Best Tea for Cooking.
- When brewing a tea do it according to its particular style and specifications.
- Here are some quick tips when using tea for cooking;
- Black teas should steep in boiling water for about four to five minutes.
- Green teas require a steep of about two to three minutes.
- Herbal teas don’t have tea in them, it is mostly flowers, herbs, and spices.
- If you brew herbal infusions in boiling water for five minutes or more, they won’t become bitter with time, but they will become stronger in flavor.
1.) Orange Earl Grey Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of table salt
- 1/4 cup loose Earl Grey tea
- Finely grated zest of 4 medium oranges
- 5 large egg yolks
Preparation
- In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of the cream with the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the tea leaves and orange zest. Cover, remove from the heat and let sit for 1 hour. Let it stay longer if you prefer a stronger flavor.
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water. Take a smaller metal bowl and place it in the ice water. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the small bowel (this is done because it helps the custard cool quicker when you pour it in later). Set a fine strainer on top. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
- Rewarm the cream mixture over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks little by little while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the spatula and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175° to 180°F at this point. Don’t let the sauce overheat or boil, or it will ruin its texture. Strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath as fast as you can. Press firmly on the tea leaves and orange zest in the strainer to extract as much flavor as possible per your preference.
- Cool the custard to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath. Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Then freeze the custard in your ice cream maker.
- Transfer the just-churned ice cream to an air-tight container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.
2.) Tea-Crusted Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 cups plus 1 Tbs. oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 Tbs. very coarsely ground coriander seeds
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed(optional)
- 1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into(optional) thick rounds
- 6 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Preparation
- Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and 2 tsp. of the coriander seeds and cook until the onions are softened and the coriander is lightly browned about 2 minutes.
- Add 4 cups water, the sugar, 3 Tbs. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and carrots and cook until just beginning to soften about 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, add the vinegar, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1 tsp. coriander seeds, the tea, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Sprinkle the chicken breasts all over with the tea mixture and pat to adhere.
- Put the flour in a shallow dish and the buttermilk in another. Dredge the breasts in the flour, the buttermilk, and then the flour again.
- Heat the remaining 3 cups oil in the skillet over medium-high heat to 335°F.
- Fry the chicken on both sides, until deep golden brown and just cooked through. Roughly considered about 8 to 12 minutes total.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain briefly. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Strain the pickled carrots, green beans, and onions and serve with the fried chicken.
3.) Peppermint Brownies
Ingredients
- 10 oz. (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter and more for greasing the pan
- 10 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- 2 tsp. peppermint tea leaves (from about 2-tea bags)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 oz. semisweet chocolate
- 2 Tbs. light corn syrup
- 2 oz. white chocolate
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan, line it with parchment and butter the paper.
- Put about 2 inches of water in a small pot and heat to a gentle simmer. In a heatproof bowl set over the water, melt 8 oz of both the butter and the unsweetened chocolate.
- Be sure that the water is hot but not boiling and that it doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until the mixture is completely melted. Turn off the heat, but let the bowl rest over the water.
- In a food processor, finely grind the peppermint leaves with the sugar. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, peppermint extract, salt, and peppermint sugar until combined.
- Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture (reserve the pot of water for later). Slowly add the flour, gently folding it in with a spoon, until incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared tray and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Put the pan on a rack to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Pull the brownies out of the pan. Peel the paper and put them on a cutting board.
- To make the glaze, bring the pot of water back to a gentle simmer. Set a heatproof bowl over the pot and add the semisweet chocolate, corn syrup, and the remaining 2 oz. each butter and unsweetened chocolate.
- Stir frequently until the mixture is melted and smooth, set aside. Put the white chocolate in a separate heatproof bowl and set it over the water.
- Stir frequently until it’s melted and smooth, remove it from the heat. Spread the chocolate glaze over the cooled brownies in an even layer.
- Drizzle the white chocolate over the glaze in evenly distributed lines. Use a toothpick to drag the white chocolate into the glaze and make a pattern of your choice.
- Refrigerate until the glaze is set, at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours. Cut it into pieces with a knife rinsed in hot water and then dried. rather than a cold knife.
- Keep well covered and serve at room temperature.
4.) Moroccan Lamb Stew with Mint Tea
Ingredients
- 3 cups freshly squeezed, strained orange juice (from 6 medium oranges)
- 1/2 cup mint tea, preferably Moroccan
- 4 3/4-inch-thick lamb shoulder chops, patted dry
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbs. dry mustard
- 3 Tbs. oil
- 1 onion, cut into small pieces
- 1 carrot, cut into small pieces
- 1 small celery, cut into small pieces
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
- 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
- 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves; whole leaves for garnish
- 6 Tbs. plain yogurt
Preparation
- In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the orange juice to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the tea leaves, and steep for 3 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and extract as much liquid as possible, and set aside.
- Season the lamb with salt and plenty of black pepper. Then combine the mustard. Dredge the chops in the mixture.
- In a pot, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook until browned on both sides then set them aside.
- Add the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil and all the other remaining ingredients to the pot. Cook, stirring often and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan until the vegetables begin to soften about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the orange juice, tomatoes, and cinnamon stick. Return the lamb to the pot. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, turning the chops occasionally, until tender, 1 to 11/2 hours.
- Transfer the chops to a cutting board. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the chickpeas, and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming any fat from the surface, until the sauce is thickened slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Trim the bones and fat from the lamb, cut into bite-size pieces, and return it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped mint. Serve topped with a dollop of yogurt, sprinkled with the whole mint leaves.
5.) Pineapple “Carpaccio” with Mint Tea Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. (or 4 tea bags) good-quality mint-flavored green tea
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. honey
- 2 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled
- Grated zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1-1/2 Tbs.)
- 1 ripe pineapple
- Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Preparation
- In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Put the tea in a Pyrex cup and pour the water over it, set aside to infuse for 15 min.
- Pour through a strainer, if needed, back into the saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, discard the tea leaves or bags.
- Add the sugar, honey, ginger, lime zest, and lime juice to the pan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 min. Set aside to cool.
- You should have about 1 cup of syrup. Strain and refrigerate until cold.
- With a serrated knife, remove the top and a thin slice of the base from the pineapple. Get the pineapple and peel off the skin with the knife, being sure to remove the eyes.
- Slicing vertically from top to bottom, cut the pineapple as thinly as possible just until you reach the core.
- Slices may vary in shape that’s alright, slice until you reach the core.
- Cover the slices with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To serve, arrange a few slices of the fruit in one layer on plates.
- Drizzle a tablespoon or so of the mint tea syrup over the slices and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Dishes become unique and better in flavor when you use tea in them. Try out the Best Tea Recipes mentioned above today to taste some amazing dishes.
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