IMBB #17 - tasteTea

This month's host for Is My Blog Burning is A La Cuisine who has cited "tea as ingredient" for the theme. As those who know me can easily confirm, this was not something I was even remotely interested in resisting, regardless of my busy schedule. My morning cup of tea is a long-established ritual, which has only become more and more embellished over the years.

I'm not sure entirely who to blame for the beginnings of this habit, but there are certainly those who have encouraged it and continue to do so. I've had High Tea in London, New York, Boston, and (most recently) Toronto. That last was at the Windsor Arms Hotel Tea Room, and I rarely feel more self-indulged than when I dress to the nines and partake in such events. I'd like to do more of these in different cities. And also sometime a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Unfortunately, a recently planned outing to Harney's Tasting Room, had to be postponed, but I'll get it back on the calendar sometime this autumn, and in the meantime, a lovely gift of three tins arrived as compensation, including my current favorite, Golden Monkey.

An oft-requested recipe from this blog is actually a recipe using tea as an ingredient: Duck with Orange Tea Sauce. However, I wanted to do something different for this month's challenge. I looked at a few different recipes, including some desserts (truffles.... icecream.... I'll probably have to try those out later), but eventually settled on:

Jasmine Tea Risotto w/ Sweet Peas and Shrimp

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly brewed jasmine green tea
1/2 cup white wine
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup sweet peas
1/4 pound shrimp (about 20 in size 71/90)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Bring broth, tea, and wine to a low simmer.

In a separate pot slowly simmer the shallot and the garlic in the butter, until shallot is soft and translucent. Remove from the heat. Add shrimp and saute until firm. Remove the shrimp. Add the rice, and mix very well with the shallots coating the rice with the butter and juices.

After a minute or so start adding the broth a ladle full at a time, in order to allow the rice to absorb it. To make risotto creamy, continue to stir as it cooks.

When risotto is almost done (not crunchy) Add peas and mix in until peas are cooked NOT MUSHY. Add a handful of Parmigiano and mix well. Risotto should be soft enough to spread and cover the entire plate when served. Garnish with shrimp.

Notes: This came out very tasty. The tea, stock and wine mixture seemed odd when I began but really combined to give this a different and refreshing taste that contrasted well with the shrimp. I ended up steaming the peas ahead of time and adding them at the last minute to be sure that I maintained the right consistency for both the rice and the vegetables and that seemed to work out well, so I'd recommend that to those who are not certain of the timing of this one. Served with Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc.

Edited to add:
IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part I
IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part II
IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part III
IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part IV
IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part V*
IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part VI

*This is the one in which my entry appears.

Posted by Jennifer at July 31, 2005 3:30 PM | TrackBack