Title: Tea-Smoked Chicken Wings
Categories: Appetizer
Yield: 6 Servings

3	lb	Chicken wings; (16 wings)
3		Cl Garlic
1	tb	Ginger root; grated
1	tb	Honey
3/4	c	Soy sauce
1/2	c	Sherry
1	c	Brown sugar
1	c	Lapsang souchong tea; (loose
		Sesame seeds; for garnish

Recipe by: The Tea Book by Sara Perry and Judith Ann Rose 1. Using a knife, separate the mini drumstick end of the wing and slice through between the joints. Cut the wing tip off and discard. (any good butcher will dot his for you.) Wash the chicken thoroughly and pat dry.

2. Using the metal blade of your processor, finely chop the garlic. Add the grated ginger root, honey, soy sauce, and sherry, processing for 20 to 30 seconds to blend. Pour the marinade in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and add the chicken wings. With a spoon, drizzle the marinade over all the wings. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, rotating the chicken wings at least once.

3. To smoke the chicken, choose a heavy steel or cast iron roasting pan or skillet with a tight fitting lid. Line the bottom of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle the brown sugar and tea on top of the foil. Place a cake rack in the skillet, over the sugar and tea mixture, and arrange the chicken wings on the rack. Cover the pan or skillet with a lid (or heavy aluminum foil if the lid does not fit snugly). Turn on your kitchen exhaust fan. Turn the burner on high, and leave chicken on high heat for 30 minutes (see Note). Do not remove the lid to check. Turn off the heat after 30 minutes, and keep the chicken covered another 20 minutes. Smoked chicken will keep for several days if well-wrapped and refrigerated.

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

Note: As with any recipe requiring a dish to be cooked at high heat, use caution. Since this dish does produce smoke, it is imperative to use your kitchen exhaust fan, and to have a pan or skillet with a tight fitting lid.

NOTES:

Smoking with tea is a traditional Chinese approach to preparing chicken. To the Western eye, the darkened skin resembles Cajun-style cuisine. These flavorful, bite-size chicken wings make a delicious appetizer when served plain, or with your favorite mustard, peanut or teriyaki sauce.

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