In the heat of summer, as you fire up your grills, it is second nature to reach for an iced tea or Tea Sangria, but tea isn’t just great accompanying grilled food; it can also play a role within that food. The ancient and classic concept of smoking with tea leaves can easily be accomplished if you have a covered grill. However, consider using steeped tea in your favorite brines to help keep your meat and poultry moist while adding depth of flavor or brightness. Ground tea is natural in dry spice rubs or steeped in wet marinades. Even desserts can combine your favorite teas and then grill to perfection. Consider freshly grilled fruit served with champagne and tea sabayon or a gourmet version of the classic S’more that we have included here. Lastly, don’t forget to round out your event with a refreshing tea cocktail!
Matcha and White Bean Dip
This white bean dip recipe is breathtakingly quick to make. If you need a quick dish to bring to a barbecue and are tight on time, make this bean dip and serve with purchased pita chips or fresh pita. If you have a little extra time, then these chips are worth the effort. If you’re planned ahead, you can even consider soaking dried beans overnight and cooking them rather than using canned, but you will be surprised how enjoyable the end result is even with canned white beans.
Watermelon is the summer barbecue classic. So refreshing, it’s like including another beverage. The sweetness of a ripe watermelon is perfect to balance against the wonderful smoke and caramelization of grilled foods. Consider this equally refreshing fruit salad for a welcome change of pace.
These wings are from Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold and Lise Stern.
One of my absolute favorite things to grill, they are best hot, right off the grill. Since they cook fairly quickly, plan to grill the wings as the last item you are serving and then keep the tea cocktails, beers, and iced tea flowing!
Let’s refresh ourselves with a quick cold cocktail before we head back to the grill!!
My husband, photographer and artist Julian Landa requested that we include a variation of his favorite ribs, so for Julian:
In the American South, barbecue has developed into an art form. An art form that is often served with the ever present ‘Sweet Tea’. Lucy’s Fried Chicken , a cherished Texas restaurant chain offers a variation on the Southern specialty Chess Pie made with tea. What could be more perfect to serve at any barbecue?
James Holmes, the owner of ‘Lucy’s Fried Chicken’ grew up in Abilene, Texas going to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. When he was young, a woman by the name of Lita used to make this pie for church gatherings. Eventually, she shared the secret recipe with James’ mother, Cheryl. Over the years, the tea chess pie became a staple in the Holmes household for holidays, family gatherings, and church functions. Years later, James knew this pie was perfect for the Lucy’s concept, both southern and traditional.
Now before that fire dies out, where did I put those marshmallows???
At Restaurant L’Espalier in Boston, Pastry Chef Jared Bacheller creates a small sweet treat that is wrapped and given to each guest as they leave. Recently, French Macarons inspired by the classic campfire treat ‘Smores’ have been the fair-well treat. At L’Espalier, they make their own marshmallows, and cold smoke the chocolate before making the ganache, but for the home cook, a purchased marshmallow freshly toasted at your grill or campfire will be ideal.
Since cold smokers are not in everyone’s kitchen, we’ve infused our cream with Lapsang Souchong tea before making the ganache. These wonderful macarons can be completely made in advance, but for the enjoyment of your guests, we strongly recommend that you have the macaron halves ready to fill and allow each guest the fun of toasting their marshmallows and building their cookies, just like with the classic smore. If time is of the essence, and you want to more completely relive those childhood memories, you can replace the smoked ganache with a square of chocolate, but the small amount of time needed to make the ganache will be time well spent when you taste the results.
