I’ve read a recipe or two on Celestial Seasonings boxes, but other than peppermint tea for my bongwater in college, I’ve only drunk the stuff…
How was it? Does it add greatly to any dish?
-Tcat
Jasmine Eggs:
Hard-boil some eggs, then crack the shells lightly. Simmer them in a mixture of jasmine tea, soy sauce, and orange zest for hours (adding more water as necessary) so the liquid soaks into the whites. Tangy!
I have a whole book full of tea-based recipes; if anyone’s interested, I can provide the details for making jasmine eggs, or other recipes, when I get home this afternoon.
I would love to hear the recipe for Jasmine eggs 
Earl grey shortbread cookies are a massive hit in my social circle.
Miss Mapp, cool. Any meat dishes?
How about fowl? “Tea smoked duck” is a common menu item at Chinese restaurants where I live (and one of my favorite duck dishes). Do a Google search on the term and you’ll find plenty of recipes.
That’s right! I have cooked with tea before! I used it to smoke shrimp once. In a wok with a shelf you put a teaspoon of tea and a teaspoon of rice onto the bottom, put the stuff to be smoked on the shelf, cover and turn on the heat. Open the windows and wait 8 to 10 minutes. They were yummie!
totally spaced that, thanks chukhung.
Another saying smoking with tea is good, and not limited to Chinese flavours. The best smoked salmon I’ve had was tea-smoked.
I’ve used tea as a base for turkey soup. Way yummy and not so tryptophanny.
I’ve used a cherry tea mixed with some cherry jam has a glaze on duck before. Very yummy.
The recipe as written:
Jasmine Eggs
6 hard-boiled eggs
3 cups water
3 tablespoons jasmine tea leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 pieces of dried tangerine peel, pith removed*
Tap the shells of the eggs just enough to crack them.
Combine water, tea leaves, soy sauce, and peel in a medium-sized pot over high heat. When the mixture begins to boil, lower heat and place the cracked eggs in the pot.
Cover and simmer for 3 hours.
Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.**
Remove eggs from liquid and chill for at least one hour. Peel and slice before serving.
- I usually use orange.
** I’m a bit leery of that “room temperature” part, so I don’t do this. Instead, I’ll put them in the fridge overnight before draining.
There’s one for roasted, tea-steamed duck, and one for smoky tea prawns (both using Lapsang Souchong).
Also several cookie and dessert recipes, including the Earl Grey shortbread.
What’s that roasted, tea-steamed duck recipe, if you don’t mind typing it out?
The directions seem a little confusing to me, but I give them to you as written:
Roasted, Tea-steamed Duck
(a streamlined version of the traditional 3-day recipe)
1 lemon
1 duck (about 5 lbs)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons Lapsang Souchong tea
1/2 cup blackberries
10 to 12 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons plum sauce
Cut 3 to 4 strips of lemon zest, each about 2 inches long. Cut the lemon in half and set it aside to rub the duck.
Clean the duck by rinsing it under water and removing any fat pockets. Dry and rub with cut lemon.
Place water, tea, and thyme in the bottom of a covered roaster pan. Place the duck on a rack in the roaster.
Bring the water to a boil and cover.
Steam the duck on the stovetop for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
When the duck is finished steaming, remove it from the heat, lift it out of the roasting pan, and set it on foil to rest.
Strain the liquid from the pan and reserve.
Rinse out roaster after it cools for a few minutes. Place the rack back in the roaster and roast the duck uncovered for 1 hour.
While the duck is roasting, skim the fat off the pan drippings and place drippings in a small saucepan to warm. Mix in soy sauce, plum sauce, blackberries, and lemon zest to simmer.
The duck will be crispy and rich brown in color when done, and the legs should be reasonably tender. Slice duck and serve with warm sauce.
Serves 2
I’ve made tea ice cream. Generally, I used Bigelow’s Constant Comment (a spice flavored tea). I brewed up a double strength batch of tea and let it cool, added milk, cream, and sugar (less than I’d usually add) and ran it through the ice cream maker.
i used to work with a chef who’d sometimes deglazed with fruit juices and think i saw him use tea for this purpose.
if he did it i’m sure it tasted great.