London Free Press – London, Ontario, Canada
By AP
Tea is one of those ingredients you don’t often consider cooking with.
And that’s a shame, because it is a nearly effortless way to add or accentuate flavours in both sweet and savoury dishes.
A tea brine imbues shrimp with a succulent flavour and tender texture, and the salt helps the shrimp absorb and hold moisture.
TEA-BRINED SHRIMP
(Makes 2 main-dish servings or 4 servings as a starter.)
- 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water
- 3 bags oolong tea
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) sugar
- 2 cups (500 mL) ice
- 1 lb (500 g) shrimp, veins (and, if desired, shells) removed
- 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C).
- In a small saucepan over high heat, bring water to a near boil. Remove pan from heat and add tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes or until tea is dark and fragrant. Remove and discard tea bags, then add salt and sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Add ice and stir until melted and tea mixture is cool.
- Place shrimp in a large bowl or self-sealing plastic bag. Add tea mixture, then cover or seal the bag and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Drain shrimp and return to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add garlic. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Season with pepper to taste. Bake for 8 minutes or until shrimp are bright pink. Serve immediately.
