Green Tea-Lacquered Salmon with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Tea is for drinking to be sure, but what about tea for eating? Many of us know the marbleized tea eggs and tea-smoked duck of Chinese kitchens or the green tea ice cream found in many Asian restaurants, but how often have we encountered oolong-brined turkey, salmon lacquered in green tea or "smoky" black lentils cooked in lapsang sou- chong tea?
These are just some of the 150 recipes "steeped in tradition from around the world" to be found in a new book, "Culinary Tea," (Running Press, $22.95). The authors are Cynthia Gold, tea sommelier at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, one of the first chefs to explore the uses of "culinary" tea, and Lise Stern, a writer and author based in Cambridge, Mass.
Note: This recipe in "Culinary Tea" was created by Christoph Leu, the corporate chef of Star- wood Hotels, and Julia Tolstunova, also with Starwood.
1/2 cup steaming water (about 175 degrees)
4 teaspoons loose-leaf green tea leaves, such as Dragonwell or sencha
4 teaspoons honey
4 fillets salmon, 6 ounces each, skin on
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
8 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 shallot, minced
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Pour the steaming water over the tea leaves in a small bowl; add honey.
- Steep, covered, for 2 1/2 minutes, strain, discard the leaves.
- Place salmon in a nonreactive pan.
- Brush with honey tea; pour any remaining tea around the fish.
- Marinate in the refrigerator, covered, 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sweet potatoes; cook, stirring, until golden, 6-10 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
- Add the spinach and garlic to the skillet.
- Cook, stirring, until the spinach is just wilted, less than 1 minute.
- Transfer to a shallow serving bowl; cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat broiler.
- Line a broiler pan with foil; spray with vegetable oil cooking spray.
- Place the salmon in the pan skin side-down; season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
- Broil just until golden, about 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to 350 degrees; bake salmon until just cooked through, 5-10 minutes.
- Pour remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil into the skillet.
- Heat over medium heat; add shallots and shiitakes.
- Cook, stirring, until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms have begun to release some of their juices, 3-4 minutes.
- Add wine and lemon juice, stirring to scrape up browned bits.
- Heat over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes; add the chicken stock.
- Reduce by half, 3 minutes.
- Add thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.
To serve:
Place a portion of spinach on each of four plates and distribute the mushroom-shallot mixture over the spinach. Top each portion with sweet potatoes and a piece of salmon and serve immediately.
Notes:
* The tea flavor grows more pronounced the longer you marinate the fish.
* The dish can be made without the tea and without marinating the fish. Mix the honey with 2 tablespoons hot water and brush it over the fish before putting it in the broiler.
* This delicious, easy-to-prepare dish is especially good for you. Salmon is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and spinach and sweet potatoes are two of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat.
Per serving: 513 calories (45 percent from fat), 25 grams fat (4 grams saturated, 14 grams monounsaturated), 95 milligrams cholesterol, 39 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 388 milligrams sodium.