When I opened the package of loose peach tea (a tisane, actually), I couldn't imagine drinking it. I sat myself down and thought about what I would do with it.
A gift to some unsuspecting host or friend? Not nice. What would they do with it? So, I had to come up with a recipe.
When I told Mark I was thinking about using it in a marinade, he tilted his head, got his funny look on his face, and asked, "How?"
"Don't rush me," I replied. But with his question, this became a personal challenge. How would I make this into a marinade?
I have always liked the flavor combination of ginger and peach. I put grated ginger into my peach pies, ground ginger into the crusts of the same pies, and crystallized ginger into my peach preserves. So, why not pair some ginger with this loose tea and start there? And that is what I did.
Anyone who cooks as much as I do (many of you are out there nodding right now) know that this is how favorite recipes are born. You start with one ingredient, add another, pull some chicken breasts out of the freezer, check the cupboard and add a few more ingredients, and pretty soon you have a full blown dinner.
I put the tea in a bowl, added some olive oil, peach brandy, a lot of chopped ginger... I nuked it, tasted it and found it was lacking. It needed sweet, and it needed tart. I opted for honey and lime. I tasted it and, as a marinade, it worked.
But would it work its way into the chicken? It sure did. After 5 hours of marinating, I baked the chicken, then reduced the marinade for a sauce. The chicken was fully infused with my unorthodox tisane/marinade, and it was nice and moist. The sauce was not on my radar at first, but was the perfect accompaniment with some mashed potatoes.
So that, Mark, is how I am going to make this into a marinade.
~ David
Ginger-Peach Chicken
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons peach or apricot brandy
4 tablespoons loose peach tea *
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
juice of 1 lime (2 limes, if they aren't very juicy)
1 tablespoon honey
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves - about 8 ounces each
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon demi-glace concentrate
1/2 cup crème fraîche
Place the olive oil, brandy, peach tea, ginger, lime juice and honey in a microwave-safe dish large enough to fit the two chicken breast halves. Microwave at high power for 30 seconds; stir to blend and microwave again for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until just about to boil. Remove from the microwave and let cool to room temperature. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Let marinate for at least 4 hours, turning once.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove chicken from the marinade; place marinade in a saucepan. Scrape all tea and ginger bits from the chicken back into the marinade. Place chicken breasts on a lightly-oiled foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, add the red wine to the marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until reduced by half. Strain and return the the sauce pan. Whisk in demi-glace and, when fully incorporated, add the crème fraîche. Remove from heat until ready to serve.
When chicken is done, let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Warm the plates and rewarm the sauce; whisk sauce well. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the sauce onto each of 4 plates. Slice chicken and divide among the plates in a fan on top of the sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Served immediately.
* I used TeaVivre's Sweet Peach Fruit Tea, which contains roselle, apple, peach, orange peel, and chrysanthemum. Labels: chicken, chicken breast, ginger, honey, lime, peach brandy, peach tea, peach tisane
