Tea smoked chicken

tea smoked chicken

Tea

How to make the perfect cuppa, along with scones, strawberry jam and deliciously refreshing green tea ice cream. Explore the refreshing world of tea with Paul Merrett.

Classic cream tea

A taste of summer – what could be more civilised than afternoon tea with scones, strawberry jam and lashings of clotted cream?

A refreshing way to keep cool

A sophisticated way to stay cool – try Paul's recipe for green tea flavoured ice cream with honey-glazed figs.

Try out our recipe from the Ever Wondered About Food series

Ingredients

Tea smoked chicken

1½ teaspoons szechuan peppercorns
1½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) sea salt
6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoon (30 ml) (1 fl oz) soy sauce

Smoking mixture

100 g (3½ oz) white rice (any kind)
100 g (3½ oz) brown sugar
2 tablespoons black tea leaves (for example, Darjeeling or, for a smokier flavour, Lapsang Souchong)

Salad

dried apricots (to be soaked overnight)
½ pt (284 ml) boiling water
Earl Grey tea bags
Handful green beans, “just” cooked and split lengthways
100 g (3½ oz) rocket
Pan fried oyster and shitake mushrooms
250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes

Special equipment

Wok with rack and lid

Method

Tea smoked chicken

Using a pestle and mortar, grind the salt and pepper into a fine powder.
Rub the mixture lightly over the chicken breasts and place in the fridge.
Line the wok with a double layer of foil. Put the rice, sugar and tea into the wok and toss gently.
Place a metal rack over the tea mixture.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and sprinkle soy sauce all over it.
Transfer the breasts to the wok rack (they should not touch the smoking mixture).
Cover the wok tightly with a lid and place on a high heat until you see smoke rising from underneath.
Reduce the heat to low and continue smoking for around 15 minutes.
Turn the chicken over and smoke it for a further 15 minutes.
Remove 1 breast from the wok and slice to check it is cooked. If not, continue smoking.

Apricot salad

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray. Brush with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10–15 minutes.
Place the dried apricots in a mixing bowl, pour over the boiling water and add the Earl Grey tea bags. Leave overnight in the bowl to marinate.
Remove the apricots and toss together with the green beans, rocket leaves, oyster and shitake mushrooms and oven baked cherry tomatoes.
For the salad dressing, add a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the leftover apricot marinade and sprinkle it over the salad.