(Continued)
Jasmine Rice Pudding Studded with Dried Fruits and Pistachios
Pairing jasmine rice with jasmine tea and leaving out the usual rice pudding spices like cinnamon and cardamom you’ll end up with a pudding that is floral. This is a perfect transitional dessert, the precursor to the arrival of fresh, local fruit. This is most delicious served slightly warm or at room temperature. Serves 4–6Ingredients
11/2 cups water
3/4 cup jasmine rice or white basmati
pinch of salt
1 tbs. butter
3 cups 1 or 2% milk
3 green tea-jasmine tea bags
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 dried apricots cut into small pieces, about the size of raisins
2 tbs. chopped pistachios
Preparation
Bring the water to a boil. Add the rice, salt, and butter; lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, bring the milk to a boil. Add the tea bags, turn off the heat, and let steep for five minutes. Add the cooked rice, a pinch of salt, and the sugar; cook at a simmer over medium-low heat for thirty minutes. Add the dried fruits and continue cooking until the rice is thick, another ten minutes or so. Pour into a serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and lay a piece of plastic wrap over the surface to keep it soft. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Tea Smoked 5-Spiced Tofu
Serves 4
You need to use firm or extra firm tofu to make this recipe easy to handle. There are three steps and they can be done at your convenience. First the tofu is marinated, then it’s browned in a skillet, then it’s smoked which makes it soft and tender again. It looks complicated, but each step is done quickly.Ingredients
1 large block firm or extra-firm tofu, packed in water, drained, and pressed dry1 tsp. canola oil or oil spray
Marinade
1/3 cup rice wine or sake21/2 tbs. light soy sauce
1 tbs. mirin
1 scallion, finely sliced
5 thin slices of ginger, bruised with the handle of a knife
1 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice powder
freshly ground black pepper
Tea Mixture for Smoking
2 tbs. dark tea leaves, loose1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. dried orange peel or rind of 1 orange cut
into strips 1/2-inch wide
2 tsp. star-anise powder or cinnamon
To Finish
1/4 cup of the reserved marinade1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. roasted sesame oil
salt and pepper
oil for the steaming basket
2 cups cooked rice (1 cup raw)
2 scallions, slivered thinly, including a little of the green
2 tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro
Preparation
Slice the tofu crosswise into seven pieces about 1/2-inch wide each. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Put them in a wide dish in a single layer. Combine the ingredients for the marinade (except the pepper) and pour it over the tofu. Pepper generously. Let marinate 1 hour or even longer, if that’s more convenient.
Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet and brush or spray with half the canola oil. Add the tofu pieces (you’ll need to do this in two batches), and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes (3 minutes per side). Set aside. Repeat with the remaining tofu slices.
Combine the ingredients for smoking. Line a wide (14-inch) wok with heavy foil, using enough to extend well over the rim. Put the tea mixture in the bottom, and then open a steaming basket and spray or brush lightly with canola oil. Lay the tofu on the steamer, bring the foil over the top over the tofu, then set a lid over all to trap the smoke. Turn the heat on high and smoke for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand until needed.
While the tofu is steaming, cook 1 cup short-grain rice. Measure out 1/4 cup of the marinade and stir in 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil and 1 teaspoon brown sugar.
To serve, mound 1/2 cup rice on each of 4 plates. Divide the tofu slices and lay them over the rice, ends pointing upwards. Spoon the reserved marinade over the tofu then garnish with the scallions and cilantro.
Spiced Tea Gelatina
Makes 4 to 6Use a commercially prepared chai tea or make your own spiced tea, below. Let it set in teacups and serve it with just a tiny bit of whipped cream and a cinnamon stick garnish.
Ingredients
2 cups water1/2 cup milk
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/8 tsp. coarsely cracked peppercorns
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 piece of fresh ginger, about
the size of a quarter, crushed
1/3 cup honey or more, to taste
2 tsp. dark tea (Darjeeling, English Breakfast, etc.), or two tea bags
1 package gelatin
1/4 cup water
honey to garnish
Preparation
Combine the water and milk in a small saucepan. Add the spices and ginger; bring to a boil. Simmer one minute then turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Return to a boil, add the tea, turn off the heat again, and let steep for 3 minutes. Pour the hot tea through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the honey. Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup water and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the gelatin to the hot tea and stir until it is completely dissolved. To hasten the cooling process, set the mixture over a bowl of ice and continue stirring until cooled, then divide among 4 teacups and chill until set, about 2 hours. Or pour the hot liquid into teacups then refrigerate until set, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Serve the teacups on a saucer, swirl a teaspoon of honey over the top, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.March/April 2006
