In Season: The tea ingredient

Use tea bags to prepare kosher-for-Pessah dishes.

By YOSSI ELSBERG
grilled chicken in citrus_521 (photo credit: Yossi Salis)
grilled chicken in citrus_521
(photo credit: Yossi Salis)
New infusion tea varieties can be used to upgrade sauces for both sweet and savory dishes. Here are a few ideas for your Seder dinner, courtesy of Wissotzky Tea.
CHERRY INFUSED SEA BREAM
Makes 5 main dishes or 10 starters
The cherry fusion creates a fruity vinaigrette and the celeriac puree rounds it all up. If served as a first dish before meat, replace the butter with margarine and the milk with coconut milk.
✔ 10 fillets of sea bream ✔ Coarse salt and pepper For the puree ✔ 3 celeriac roots, peeled ✔ 3 potatoes, peeled ✔ 2 cups milk or coconut milk ✔ 1 cup water ✔ 150 gr. butter ✔ 2 cherry tea bags from the Magic Garden collection ✔ Salt For the vinaigrette: ✔ 1⁄2 cup olive oil ✔ Juice of 1 lemon ✔ Zest of 1 lemon ✔ 1⁄2 cup cranberries ✔ 1⁄2 cup cashew nuts ✔ 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar ✔ 2 cherry tea bags from the Magic Garden collection ✔ 1⁄2 cup boiling water
Make the puree: Place celery roots and potatoes in a pot, add milk and bring to a gentle boil. Add the tea bags and cook for 45 minutes over very low heat. Remove the tea bags, strain and puree using a fork. Add butter and season with salt. Keep warm.
Prepare vinaigrette: Place the tea bags in boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove bags. Mix tea infusion with all the ingredients.
Prepare fish: Heat a skillet. Rub fish with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Braise fish starting with the skin side down for 2 minutes, turn and continue cooking for 1 minute on the other side. Before serving drizzle a little vinaigrette over the fish.
SPRING VEGETABLES IN LEMONGRASS
Steamed portobello mushrooms, broccoli and asparagus in lemongrass aioli: It only sounds difficult.
For the aioli: ✔ 1⁄2 cup boiling water ✔ 3 lemongrass tea bags from the Leaves collection by Wissotzky.✔ Juice and zest of 1 orange ✔ 5 Tbsp. mayonnaise ✔ 2 Tbsp, Dijon mustard ✔ 1 Tbsp. silan or honey ✔ 2 cloves garlic, minced ✔ 1⁄2 purple onion, chopped ✔ Salt and pepper
For the vegetables: ✔ 250 gr. portobello mushrooms ✔ 2 bunches asparagus ✔ 300 gr. snow peas ✔ 300 gr. fresh broccoli ✔ 5 lemongrass cream tea bags ✔ 2 liters boiling water
Make the aioli: leave tea bags in 1⁄2 cup boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove bags. Mix the fusion with the rest of the ingredients using whisk. Whisk until mixed and smooth.
Bring 2 liter water to a boil, add the tea bags and leave for 4 minutes. Remove bags and discard. Blanch the each vegetable in the water, separately, for 1 minute. Arrange vegetables on a serving plate and serve the aioli in a small bowl next to it.
GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST IN CITRUS
Succulent chicken in aromatic orange marinade served with caramelized carrots.
5 breasts cut into 10 servings
For the carrots: ✔ 20 carrots, washed and halved lengthwise ✔ 3 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 1 tsp. coarse salt ✔ 4 Tbsp. silan ✔ 1 cup boiling water ✔ 5 red orange and mandarin fusion ✔ tea bags from the Magic Garden collection
For the marinade: ✔ 1 cup olive oil ✔ 5 tea bags red orange and mandarin fusion from the magic garden collection ✔ Orange and zest from 2 oranges ✔ 2 Tbsp. silan ✔ Coarse salt ✔ Tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Prepare carrots: Place halved carrots on a skillet. Add all the ingredients, including tea bags. Bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes over medium heat. Discard tea bags, keep carrots in a warm place until ready to serve.
Prepare marinade: put oil in a large cup with tea bags. Heat in microwave set on high for 11⁄2 minutes to make aromatic oil. Cool and remove tea bags. Mix the aromatic oil with the other marinade ingredients and cover the chicken. Leave for a few hours.
Remove chicken from marinade, heat a heavy skillet and braise chicken on both sides until done, about 2 minutes on each side.
To serve: place carrots on each plate, place chicken on top and pour the carrot sauce over both.
NUT AND AMARETTO CAKE
It takes only 15 minutes to prepare this kosher-for-Pessah nutty cake.
✔ 2 amaretto tea bags from the Leaves collection ✔ 1⁄2 cup apple juice ✔ 100 gr. hazelnuts, peeled ✔ 100 gr. walnuts, peeled ✔ 50 gr. white almonds, peeled ✔ 150 gr. powdered sugar ✔ 11⁄2 Tbsp. chocolate drink mix ✔ 2 Tbsp. matza meal ✔ 3 eggs separated ✔ 2 Tbsp. melted margarine or oil
Bring juice to boil, add tea bags for 4 minutes and discard.
Roast the nuts lightly in a skillet, don’t let them burn. Coarsely grind the nuts in a food processor. Place in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, chocolate mix and matza meal. Mix. Add the egg yolks, oil and amaretto-apple tea. Mix well. Whisk the egg whites until dry and fold into the nuts mixture. Oil a 24-cm. to 26-cm. mold. Transfer dough into the mold and bake for 35 minutes at 150º.
Garnish with sliced almonds or powdered sugar.
ICE TEA AND BACARDI COCKTAIL
✔ 11⁄2 liter boiling water
✔ 5 pomegranate fusion tea bags from the Magic Garden collection
✔ 11⁄2 cups sugar
✔ 11⁄2 cups Bacardi (or arak)
✔ Juice from 3 lemons
Soak tea bags in boiling water for 4 minutes and discard. Add sugar and mix well. Cool, add alcohol and lemon juice, mix well and serve over crushed ice.
Photos and text courtesy of Wissotzky Tea.