This Chinese tea smoked chicken is such a winning dish! Elegant appetizer recipe ideas are becoming more popular than ever before, as people begin to experiment more in the kitchen. You need to choose an appetizer that will impress your guests with your knowledge of food, and the distinct choice of flavors used to make the dishes.
There are many different recipes to choose from, regardless of the occasion, and your budget. Take Chinese tea smoked chicken for example – this is certainly elegant as well as unusual.
Chinese Tea Smoked Chicken: Presentation and Good Ingredients are Vital
If you use a good recipe for your appetizer, you can achieve an exciting, elegant appearance with very basic ingredients. Expensive ingredients can be used but you will be surprised what you can achieve with more affordable options.
Miniature appetizers always appear to be elegant, and can ensure that your guests want more of the delicate flavors.
These Chinese lettuce cups with their heavenly chicken mixture on top offer the perfect appetizer before a main dish. Served warm they are simply fantastic and you’re sure to enjoy the aromatic flavor of this Chinese tea smoked chicken recipe.
Feel free to leave out any of the ingredients you do not like or consider swapping the chicken thighs for breasts if you want, or even duck breast if you prefer that.
Chinese Tea Smoked Chicken: Planning is Essential
You need to be organized when planning the perfect elegant appetizer recipe, and you will be surprised how many there are to choose. You need to ensure that you can find all of the ingredients to recreate the dish.
Some people think that elegant means complicated but this is quite untrue.
You can produce excellent, elegant appetizers if you plan well and understand your capabilities.
The following Chinese tea smoked chicken recipe is ideal for an elegant appetizer recipe and is sure to impress everyone with its aromatic taste.
PrintChinese Tea Smoked Chicken
Chinese tea-smoked chicken provides an aromatic appetizer and this is perfect served before a fish, seafood or meat Chinese main course. The tasty chicken is served on iceberg lettuce and it looks really elegant.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 22 mins
- Total Time: 42 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50g) raw white rice
- 3 tablespoons Chinese black tea
- 1 pound (450g) boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon 5-spice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- ¼ cup (60ml) dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 5 sliced green onions
- ¼ cup (35g) chopped peanuts
- ½ iceberg lettuce
- Lime juice, to serve
- Cilantro (fresh coriander), for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the peppercorns in a dry pan for 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool, mix with the 5-spice and salt and crush with a pestle and mortar.
- Rub the seasoning into the chicken thighs, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove chicken 30 minutes before cooking.
- Line a wok with aluminium foil.
- Mix the tea, rice and sugar together and put on to the foil.
- Place a steamer on to the wok, and evenly spread the chicken on top.
- Cover and cook on a high heat for 12 minutes until the chicken is colored and cooked through.
- Whilst the chicken is cooking prepare the sauce.
- Place the soy sauce, sherry, ginger and sesame in a saucepan and whisk.
- Over a high heat bring to the boil and leave for 5 minutes.
- Brush over the chicken when cooked.
- Dice the chicken into small pieces and toss with the green onions and peanuts.
- Divide the lettuce into leaves and divide it between 8 small plates.
- Place a drop of the sauce on to the leaves, and top with chicken.
- Squeeze lime juice over the appetizer and serve warm.
- Garnish these with some cilantro leaves if liked.
Notes
If you are using a nonstick wok, be very careful that the tea/rice mix does not go outside the foil. It will adhere to the pan and will be near-impossible to remove!
It’s perhaps best to line the wok with baking parchment then a double square of aluminum foil. Wait until the wok has cooled right down before removing it. If your wok is nonstick, you can still do this as a precaution.
In the picture you can see the chicken thighs are whole but most people prefer them to chop them up after they are cooked. If you do want to serve them whole in your Chinese tea smoked chicken recipe though, perhaps even over noodles or rice as an entree, then go ahead. This is your recipe to make as you see fit and tweak if you so choose.