6 Ways to Use Tea (Other than Protesting Taxation Without Representation)
Two hundred and forty years ago today, a group of protesters dumped 342 chests of tea from the East India Company into Boston Harbor, kicking off the American Revolution. While political demonstration can conceivably justify wasting perfectly good tea, F&W has some tastier ideas.
Make a cocktail. Add more complexity to Pimm's No. 1, a quintessentially British gin-based aperitif, by adding orange pekoe tea, another beloved British beverage.
Make a mocktail. "Tea," says Jennifer Colliau of Small Hand Foods, "is a wonderful base for nonalcoholic drinks because its slight bitterness makes a complex, adult beverage rather than a fruity kids' drink." She mixes lemongrass tea with an easy-to-make clove-infused simple syrup.
Brine chicken. Chefs Erik Anderson and Josh Habiger of The Catbird Seat brine their fried chicken in sweet tea and thyme, which gives it a delicate, sweet flavor.
Bake cookies. Matcha (green tea) powder lends not only a beautiful green hue to buttery sables, but also a terrific hint of bitterness.
Soak eggs. Tea-marbled eggs are a staple snack in China. To turn the classic dish into a sophisticated hors d'oeuvre, soak hard-boiled quail eggs in smoky Lapsang souchong tea.
Smoke chicken. Smoking chicken quickly over anise-scented black tea makes them wonderfully fragrant.
