Cooking with Tea: Temptation in a Teapot
Tea's versatility goes beyond the teacup. Age-old beverage adds flavorful lift to foods, too.
This recipe comes courtesy of Deborah Pappalau. “Lapsang is a tea from China that has a strong woodsy aroma from being roasted over pinewood. It reminds me of a favorite Indian tandoori sea bass from a restaurant in Santa Monica that we used to go to. The fish is firm but very moist with a slightly smoky flavor. In this recipe, I used Lapsang Souchong to create smoke and as an ingredient in the rub mixture. A stovetop smoker or wok is ideal but you can also make this dish in your oven or on an outdoor grill by placing the smoking spices in a smoker box,” she notes. Yield 3-4.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 3–4 Serving(s)
- 1 pound sea bass or other firm white fish, such as halibut
- 1 tablespoon Lapsang Souchong loose-leaf tea
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon uncooked rice
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Lapsang Souchong loose-leaf tea
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Glaze
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamarind chutney* (hoisin sauce can be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon spice rub mixture
Instructions
Using a mortar and pestle or small food processor, grind all spice rub ingredients to a coarse powder. Reserve 1 teaspoon rub for the glaze. Coat sea bass filets with rub mixture and refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a roasting pan with foil. Sprinkle tea, brown sugar and rice mixture on shallow roasting pan. Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil cooking spray and place over the roasting pan. Place in oven.
When tea begins to smoke, about 5 minutes, place sea bass filets on rack and cover completely with foil. Bake about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, and simmer until glaze thickens.
Remove foil from fish and brush with glaze. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through.
Brush with additional glaze and serve with basmati rice and steamed asparagus or vegetable of your choice.
* Tamarind chutney can be found at Indian or specialty grocers.
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