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Tea-Smoked Chicken

4.4

(11)

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
a 3- to 3 1/2-pound chicken
1/4 cup loose Lapsang souchong tea or tea removed from 11 tea bags
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
Asian sesame oil for brushing chicken

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a dry, small, heavy skillet toast peppercorns over moderate heat, shaking skillet, 5 minutes. Cool peppercorns and with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder coarsely grind. In a small bowl stir together peppercorns and salt.

    Step 2

    Pat chicken dry and rub inside and out with peppercorn mixture. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to a steamer and steam over boiling water, covered, 25 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through.

    Step 3

    While chicken is steaming, line bottom and lid of a wok with heavy-duty foil. In wok stir together loose tea and brown sugar until combined well.

    Step 4

    Arrange a metal rack about 2 inches above tea mixture and transfer chicken, breast side up, to rack in wok. Heat wok, covered, over moderately high heat until wisps of smoke begin to appear, 2 to 3 minutes, and smoke chicken, covered, 6 minutes. Turn chicken over and smoke, covered, 6 minutes more. Remove wok from heat and let chicken stand, covered, 15 minutes.

    Step 5

    Transfer chicken to a cutting board and brush lightly with oil.

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