Out of the Teapot

Cooking with tea is an ancient custom in China, albeit one that has not been fully explored, save for a few classics like Chinese tea leaf egg, “Cha Ye Dan”. With the dicverse selection of tea available in market today, it might surprise you to know that they all come from the same plant – the Camellia sinensis. It is the timing of the harvesting of this evergreen plant as well as the processing the leaves go through that determine the final flavour of the tea; of course, the climate, soil and altitude where the plant is cultivated are contributing factors -  much like how terroir affect wines.

White Tea come from young, immature leaves, and is the least processed of the types of teas, appreciated for its delicate floral and citrus notes.

Green Tea is an unfermented tea with a fresh, light, grassy and smoky flavour. It reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols of all the teas. The leaves may be rolled up like pearls, or loose.

Oolong is a partially fermented tea, varying in colour between green to reddish-brown and can have floral, fruity, spicy pr roasted flavour depending on its fermentation.

Black Tea known as red tea among the Chinese. Is the most commonly consumed tea in the Western world (also responsible for your tea ais and is also the strongest in flavour, due to the full fermentation the leaves go through.

Tea can be used in a myriad of ways. Aside from the usual steep and sip, they work great as marinades, rubs, braising liquid. Use it right and you can have it dominate the flavour of your dish or add subtle, sublime notes. It is all down to understanding the flavour profile of the tea, so let you palate guide you when choosing the right tea for your dish.

I will promote 2 dishes which using tea leaves .. hope you like it .

Recipes --- > Clams with Chinese Green Tea & Olive Oil Broth

60ml olive oil

2 shallot, chopped

250ml water

200ml white wine

1 stem lemongrass, bruised

1kg clams

1 tablespoon green tea

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

To Prepare :

Heat up olive oil in a pan over low heat. Cook shallots until translucent. Add in water, wine and lemongrass and bring to boil. Add clams, cover, and cook over high heat until the clams are open; set aside clams. Remove broth from heat and add tea leaves; cover and infuse for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide clams into bowls and pour broth over the clams. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.

Recipes --- > Oolong Tea Crème Caramel

Custard

1 litre milk; 3 tablespoons Oolong tea; 6 eggs; 150g sugar

Caramel Dust

150g sugar

To Prepare Custard :

Preheat oven to 90ºC. Bring milk to boil. Add in tea and infuse for 5 minutes. Strain tea and discard leaves. Cream eggs and sugar. Whisk in infused milk, strain and cast in ramekins. Bake in a water bath for 1 hour. Remove from oven and leave to cool. Refrigerate until cold.

To Prepare Caramel Dust :

Place a pan over low heat and sprinkle some sugar on the pan. Stir until the sugar melts and turns a golden brown. Add in more sugar, and continue the process until the sugar is used up and the mixture is golden brown. Transfer the caramel to a silicone mat or oiled baking paper. Set aside to cool. Sandwich the caramel between two sheets of baking paper and bash it with a rolling pin until powdery.

To Serve :

Sprinkle caramel dust over chilled custard. Melt the caramel using a hand-held torch.