Oolong Black Tea

Loose tea has a stronger and fresher flavor and uses whole (or very large pieces of leaves) which in turn allows all the essential oils of the tea leaf to be expressed in the water. Loose tea can be re-steeped several times without losing their favor.

All “true” tea comes from the same plant, called the Camellia sinensis. Any leaf, root, fruit or flower that comes from a different plant is considered an herbal tea. “True teas” can be categorized into 5 major categories: white, green, oolong, black, pu-erh. Generally, categories are defined by how the leaf is processed, the cultivars used and how much a tea is oxidized. Black and pu-erh tea are fully oxidized, oolong tea is partially oxidized and green and white teas are unoxidized.

CHERRY-GINGER OOLONG MAYO

Adapted by Suzanne Klein, Tea Foodie from the Oolong Mayonnaise recipe in the Culinary Teacookbook by Cynthia Gold and Lise Stern.

 

INGREDIANTS:

Makes about 2½ cups

• 2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries
• 2 tablespoons loose leaf oolong tea leaves
• 1 cup just boiled water
• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk*
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (from about a 2-inch piece of ginger root)
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 cups canola or vegetable oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

 

*Raw eggs can carry the bacteria salmonella. Use pasteurized whole eggs if you can find them. If not, use the freshest eggs you can get and keep them cold.

PREPERATION:

1. Set the cherries and tea leaves together in a heatproof bowl. Cover them with the just boiled water, cover, and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and discard the liquid. Set the steeped leaves and cherries aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.2. Place the eggs, egg yolk, ginger and rice vinegar in a food processor and process for several seconds to combine. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in all of the oil through the feed tube until the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken. This should take about 2 minutes.3. Add the cooled tea leaves and cherries to the food processor and process for 30 seconds more. The tea and cherries will blend into the mayonnaise to give it a chunky texture and lots of flavor. Transfer mayonnaise to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using to give it a chance to set and for the flavors to meld.

4. Store the mayonnaise in an airtight container and use within 3 days.

 

USES:

• This mayo is delicious on a simple turkey sandwich or veggie wrap.
• I used half of the first batch to make chicken salad and the second half to make deviled eggs.