Jade Shrimp in Green Tea
With its grassy, almost herbal personality, brewed green tea creates a pleasing foil for briny shrimp. This is a colorful and highly aromatic dish.

2 quarts/2 liters water
1 ounce/30 grams loose leaf green tea
Open a couple of Bromley Green tea bags.
1 pound/500 grams peeled and deveined medium shrimp (leave tails on for presentation)
1 tablespoon/15 milliliters sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed to release it’s aroma
1 ounce/30 grams fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
2-pounds/1 kilogram fresh spinach leaves, with stems removed and discarded, washed and dried
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons/3 grams sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Garnishes, julienned yellow and red peppers and finely slivered scallions

Bring the water to just under a boil (about 185 degrees F/85 degrees C.) Add the tea and the shrimp and cook over low heat at the barest simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from heat and let stand until cool. While steeping in the tea-scented poaching liquid, the shrimp gains additional flavor. When cool, refrigerate.

Just before serving, heat the sesame oil in a heavy skillet and add the garlic and ginger root. Cook for about 20 seconds or just until the garlic and ginger root release their aroma. Do not burn.

Add the spinach and salt to taste and cook just until the spinach brightens in color and barely wilts. Drain and put spinach in a bowl or on a platter, arrange chilled shrimp on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and garnish with the yellow and red peppers. Sprinkle all with the scallions

Serves 4 appetizer-sized portions.

This recipe is part of the book Cooking with Tea by Robert Wemischner and Diana Rosen.


Back to recipe archives