Eat Tea - A Warm Weather Recipe

Cooking with tea is as old as the history of tea itself. The ancient Chinese used dried pungent oolong leaves to stuff fish before steaming it; they added tea leaves to the fire source for smoking duck; infused boiling water with tea leaves to give eggs a distinctly marbled appearance on the whites when hard boiled. Prior to the final minutes of cooking, the eggshells are slightly cracked, thus allowing the teas to seep through and create this magical "marbled" effect; either green or black teas are great for this.

Modern day applications are easy and delicious, and as the weather gets warmer and your appetite desires more comfort, you'll want to try this delectable tea-infused recipe to warm your soul.

INGREDIENTS:


4 T black tea leaves (Bolivian Black)

2 quarts spring water

fruity olive oil, enough to coat pan for searing

4 cloves garlic smashed then finely chopped

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions, about one large onion

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup stewed tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes

2 1/2 lb. chicken salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare tea by brewing it in very cool water (about 170 degrees F.) then sieve
out the leaves and set aside the liquid.

Sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil until softened.

Add sugar and tomatoes and stir until sugar dissolves.

To braise, place the chicken in a large pan (or Dutch oven) and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the sautéed mixture. Add the brewed tea then bake, covered, until the chicken is tender, about 1 to 1.5 hours and tests done by thermometer at 164 degrees F.

Braising recipe© by Robert Wemischner, from the book Cooking with Tea by Robert Wemischner and Diana Rosen