Recipe: Tea smoked chicken breasts

Tea smoked chicken breasts. Photo / Babiche Martens.

Tea smoked chicken breasts

Serves 4

• 2 tsp sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp five-spice
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 chicken breasts
• 100g lapsang souchong tea leaves
• 50g dark brown sugar

To serve
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Steamed rice and Asian greens

1. Place the peppercorns, salt and spice in a mortar and pestle and grind to powder. Add the sesame oil and soy and mix.

2. Rub the spice over the chicken breasts and put them in a bamboo steamer.

3. Half-fill a pot with water and add 1 tablespoon of tea leaves. Put the steamer on top, cover tightly and steam for approximately 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken.

4. Line a wok with tin-foil. Put the brown sugar and remaining tea leaves in the bottom. Position a rack over the top, leaving a few centimetres clear. Place the chicken on the rack and cover. It will take a few minutes before you have smoke. Leave it for 5 minutes before turning the chicken and smoking for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the chicken in the smoker for 10 minutes.

5. To serve, mix the soy sauce and sesame oil together and spoon a little over the top. Plate with steamed rice and greens.

- VIVA