Dilmah Rose With French Vanilla Tea-Smoked Fish

Inspiringly aromatic, with a medium bodied floral note, the flavour of Rose with a hint of French Vanilla combines with Ceylon tea in a perfect embrace. The refined Rose With French Vanilla Tea is simply perfect for my Smoked Red Snapper to usher in the New Year!

I was invited by Dilmah recently to witness top professional chefs in Singapore competing to create bespoke tea-inspired menus, displaying the exquisite art of food & tea pairings! 12 professional culinary teams demonstrated masterful knowledge of the art of tea & food pairing as they strove to bring high tea back to its roots.

Unfortunately, I had to give the event a rain check as I was really tied-up. Nevertheless, Dimah was kind enough to send me some of their fine teas - Elegant Earl Grey, Berry Sensation, Fragrant Jasmine Green Tea, Peppermint & English Toffee & my fave Rose With French Vanilla. They suggested that I try my hand at creating a tea-inspired dish with the Dilmah teas, & of course I was more than delighted.

I love playing with food & adore using Earl Grey for my dishes. But this time, I wanted to try something different, something unique in taste. I fell in love with Dilmah's Rose with French Vanilla, & chose the tea because of its medium flavour palate with a tinge of floral note.

I decided to put together a Rose With French Vanilla Tea-Smoked Red Snapper. I was also feeling romantic that day. Who wouldn't? With such a lovely & charming name to the tea!

I improvised & organized my thoughts as I work conscientiously in my kitchen to create a dish fit for my New Year's Eve dinner. Then, the thought of infusing the Rose With French Vanilla Tea in my vegetables seems doable, which will add a distinctive touch to the dish. The Tea-Smoked Cherry Vines Tomatoes turned out nice & juicy. Forget about the Shimeji Mushrooms as they came out real bitter. Not sure if it's the batch cause it happens at times, but I didn't like it.

My favourite part during the entire process was steeping my Sautéed Spinach in Rose With French Vanilla Tea & Coffee Mate. My hubby thought it was a crazy idea & brushed it off instantly. I thought otherwise & decided to give it a go. The tea-infused vegetable turned out beautifully scented, creating a marvellous sense of harmony.

So let's indulge in the intricate art of savouring fine teas in this seductive Rose With French Vanilla Tea-Smoked Red Snapper tea-infused cuisine.

Ingredients:
1 Red Snapper
7 Dilmah Rose With French Vanilla Tea Bags
30g Jasmine rice
30g of Brown sugar (5 sachets)
1 stalk of Scallion
2 Garlic cloves
5 Cherry vines tomatoes
1 bunch of Shimeji mushrooms
Pinch of Fresh ground pepper & salt

Tea-infused Spinach:
150g Spinach
1 Dilmah Rose With French Vanilla Tea Bag
2 sticks of Coffee Mate creamer
¾ cup Water
2 tsp Butter
Salt to taste
Cornstarch

Method:

1. Ensure fish is dry patting by it well with a paper towel after cleaning. * Dry food will absorb the smoke better & will produce a more even colour & flavour. Marinate fish with salt & pepper for at least an hour.

2. Line the wok with foil & add sugar, rice & tea. Mix well.

3. Heat wok on high heat. Meanwhile, oil rack to prevent fish from sticking. When mixture starts to smoke, put rack in wok & place fish, tomatoes, shimeji, scallion & crushed garlic on it. Cover the wok.
4. Once it starts smoking, lower the heat & smoke for about 10 mins. * Remove the vegetables half-way during smoking to prevent over-cooking & place on serving plate.

5. Meanwhile, fix tea & add creamer. Mix well & set aside.

6. Heat another pan & sautéed spinach with butter. Add pinch of salt & turn off fire. Pour the tea mixture & let it steep for about 10 mins. Drain & put onto serving plate.
7. Heat up the tea mixture just before serving & add cornstarch to thicken it to make sauce.

8. When smoked fish is ready, place it on the spinach & serve together with other tea-smoked vegetables. Drizzle tea sauce onto food & enjoy this aromatic Rose With French Vanilla Tea-Smoked Red Snapper!

Thank you Dilmah, for the wonderful opportunity to create this tea-inspired dish, & Jeminah for arranging the teas!

Other Tea-Inspired Recipes:

Chilled Aromatic Earl Grey Pork Loin

Aromatic Tea-Smoked Chicken