Tea and chicken may not be an obvious pairing in most people's minds. They don't have the reputation of chicken and mashed potatoes, for example. But while tea may strike some as a strange ingredient in a chicken dish, it doesn't have to be. Certainly, there are teas that would not pair well with chicken. The black and green teas suggested here will work just fine.
Since plain black and green teas have a rather neutral taste, using them to add flavor to a dish is probably not going to be very rewarding. Adding these teas to a recipe should also not be scary, for that reason. Deeply stained chicken will not have a strange flavor, unless flavored teas are used. Even so, many herbal teas will work well with this recipe. Try an orange tea, for example.
Using tea to color an otherwise neutral chicken dish can be spectacular. Otherwise boring chicken becomes strikingly colored for a meal with eye appeal. Choose black tea for deeper color or green tea for a milder effect. Similarly, break open the tea bag or use loose-leaf tea for a more striking appearance, but leave the tea in the bag to keep the leaves off of the chicken pieces. (serves 4)
Tea-Stained Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 T oil
- 2-3 large chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch paillards
- Sprinkling of salt and pepper
- 1/4 t ginger
- 1/4 t ground rosemary
- 1/2 C water or orange juice
- 1 tea bag of black tea or green tea leaves
Instructions:
- Heat the oil over medium high heat.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken pieces with the salt, pepper, ginger and rosemary.
- Put the chicken into the very hot pan and brown the pieces on each side. (This should take approximately 6 minutes per side).
- Add the water or orange juice and the tea bag (or loose tea leaves) to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about twenty minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Serve over rice and vegetables, or use this chicken in Chicken Fried Rice.
Health Note:
There are antioxidants in tea that have been shown to be beneficial when consumed in large quantities. This recipe can be considered as a way to add additional tea to a diet, but it in itself will not provide a significant source of tea or the antioxidants in tea.
Tea-stained chicken can still be added to a list of heart-healthy meals. This chicken dish is low in fat and is cholesterol free. Using orange juice as the cooking liquid will add flavor and good nutrients. Low fat cooking does not have to be boring!
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