Boston Tea Party. April 21, 2016
Earl Grey Tea Cocktail
(From Sugar and Charm)
6 ounces cold Earl Grey tea
1 1/4 ounces gin
1 1/4 ounces honey simple syrup (recipe below)
1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 lavender sprigs
Directions
Brew 4 cups Earl Grey tea. This will give you enough to make a few cocktails. Store in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Make a batch of honey simple syrup to store in the fridge as well. 5 cups water, 1 cup honey. Bring to a simmer until honey has dissolved. Then cool in the fridge.
Add all of the above ingredients into a cocktail shaker, with 2 sprigs lavender and ice. Shake several times. Then strain the cocktail into a glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with lavender.
(From Sugar and Charm)
6 ounces cold Earl Grey tea
1 1/4 ounces gin
1 1/4 ounces honey simple syrup (recipe below)
1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 lavender sprigs
Directions
Brew 4 cups Earl Grey tea. This will give you enough to make a few cocktails. Store in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Make a batch of honey simple syrup to store in the fridge as well. 5 cups water, 1 cup honey. Bring to a simmer until honey has dissolved. Then cool in the fridge.
Add all of the above ingredients into a cocktail shaker, with 2 sprigs lavender and ice. Shake several times. Then strain the cocktail into a glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with lavender.
Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken
i made this recipe using boneless, skinless breasts for ease of baking quickly, plus i thought the skinlessness might aid in allowing the chicken to soak up the flavor of the brine. obviously, you can use whatever chicken pieces you prefer. -N
2 family-size tea bags (or 4 regular-size)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 (3 1/2-to 4-lb.) cut-up whole chicken
To Brine (24 hours in advance!):
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a heavy saucepan; add tea bags then remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 6 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Cool completely (about 45 minutes. Mixture should be cool before adding chicken).
Place tea mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish and chill 24 hours.
To Bake:
Preheat the oven to 400.
Remove chicken from tea marinade, discarding marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels.
Butter the bottom of a baking dish and one side of a piece of parchment paper.
Place the chicken in the baking dish, spaced slightly apart.
Lay the parchment paper, butter-side down, over the chicken. Tuck the edges into the pan and press the parchment down so that it's snug around the chicken. The chicken should be completely covered with the parchment.
Bake until the chicken is completely opaque all the way through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer (around 20 minutes for boneless breasts; closer to 30-40 for a cut-up whole chicken).
i made this recipe using boneless, skinless breasts for ease of baking quickly, plus i thought the skinlessness might aid in allowing the chicken to soak up the flavor of the brine. obviously, you can use whatever chicken pieces you prefer. -N
2 family-size tea bags (or 4 regular-size)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 (3 1/2-to 4-lb.) cut-up whole chicken
To Brine (24 hours in advance!):
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a heavy saucepan; add tea bags then remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 6 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Cool completely (about 45 minutes. Mixture should be cool before adding chicken).
Place tea mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish and chill 24 hours.
To Bake:
Preheat the oven to 400.
Remove chicken from tea marinade, discarding marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels.
Butter the bottom of a baking dish and one side of a piece of parchment paper.
Place the chicken in the baking dish, spaced slightly apart.
Lay the parchment paper, butter-side down, over the chicken. Tuck the edges into the pan and press the parchment down so that it's snug around the chicken. The chicken should be completely covered with the parchment.
Bake until the chicken is completely opaque all the way through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer (around 20 minutes for boneless breasts; closer to 30-40 for a cut-up whole chicken).
Bigelow Tea's Mint Medley Tabouleh Salad
Ingredients
https://www.bigelowtea.com/Tea-Tips/For-Entertaining/Recipes/Salads-and-Side-Dishes/Mint-Medley%C2%AE-Tabouleh-Salad-with-Feta,-Cucumber-an#.Vy_ReuHmpdj
Ingredients
- 6 Bigelow Mint Medley Herbal Tea Bags
- ¾ cups Bulgur Wheat (Tabouleh)
- 1 ¼ cups boiling water
- 1 large tomato, split and cut into ¼ inch dice
- ½ cucumber, peeled, and cut into ¼ inch dice
- ¾ - 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, about 4 ounces
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup chopped pitted Greek olives
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
https://www.bigelowtea.com/Tea-Tips/For-Entertaining/Recipes/Salads-and-Side-Dishes/Mint-Medley%C2%AE-Tabouleh-Salad-with-Feta,-Cucumber-an#.Vy_ReuHmpdj
Pears Poached in Earl Grey Tea
6 cups of brewed Earl Grey Tea
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons, plus peel of 1 lemon
1 orange peel, peeled into large strips
6 ripe pears, peeled and cored (try to leave the stem intact)
Creme fraiche
1. Brew Earl Grey tea and pour into a saucepan wide enough to hold the pears in a single layer.
2. Over medium-high heat, stir in the sugar until dissolved. Then add the lemon juice, lemon and orange peels and finally the pears.
3. Bring the liquid to a simmer then cover, reduce the heat and cook the pears until tender (approximately 30 minutes but cooking time will vary depending on pear's ripeness). Test with a pairing knife.
4. Once pears are done, scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spatula onto a serving dish and allow to cool. Once cooled, you can slice a small amount from the bottom of each pear to leave a flat bottom so they stand up straight.
5. Remove the zest from the poaching liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to boil until mixture has reduced to 1 cup of liquid. Allow syrup to cool.
6. Plate poached pears and drizzle with syrup. Serve with caramel sauce and crème fraiche.
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Lower the heat and carefully add cream and butter. (Stand back...it may splatter.) When bubbling subsides, stir sauce until smooth. Add vanilla. Pour into a heatproof jar, such as a Pyrex measuring cup. Cool to warm or room temperature before serving.