Diving deeper into tea

MILLERTON, N.Y. — Tea is much more than a drink when it comes to both traditional and modern international cuisines, and a Millerton business recently took the ingredient to a new level when it invited the New England Epicurean Society to feast on a nine-course meal in which every item was made with tea.

Harney & Sons founder John Harney joined son Michael and grandson Alex in welcoming a crowd of about two dozen foodies to their Millerton tea room, where a parade of appetizers and entree samples ranged from tea-glazed melon skewers to green tea dumplings and Wagyu beef sashimi. Topping it all off were three different tea-flavored ice creams.

The offerings included a range of raw and cooked seafood, with salmon tartare accented by an Oolong citrus oil, along with citrus-marinated Laughing Bird shrimp, a sweet Caribbean delicacy served ceviche-style. On the side, a smokey cheese speckled with Lapsang souchong tea leaves was complemented by white wines from Little Gates & Co. Lapsang tea, with its campfire aroma, was one of the most remarkable flavors in the bunch, conjuring up images of outdoor barbecues.

Both John and Michael Harney are accomplished authors of tea-related books explaining how to cook with assorted varieties. The senior Harney has been immersed in the subject of tea for a quarter of a century, while Michael is not far behind with 20 years in the business.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel here,� John Harney said during the gathering in Millerton. “These are some of my favorite recipes that I’ve made over the years.�

Still, the array of dishes revealed deep creativity and culinary prowess. Instead of simply tossing ordinary dumplings into freshly brewed tea, Harney’s recipe calls for infusing the dumplings themselves with green tea and serving them in a remarkably savory bacon-seaweed broth. Buttery scallops nearly the size of hockey pucks were served lollipop style on the ends of chopsticks and basted with a savory-sweet tea, citrus and vanilla reduction. A mild and delicate poached fluke, topped with a nest of lemongrass, welcomed the addition of a faintly sweet and bitter green tea cream sauce.

The final offering, a trio of tea-flavored ice creams made with Harney teas and churned at the SoCo Creamery, was served in baby ramekins.  The different flavors allowed tasters to compare and contrast some of the more popular blends, including an Earl Grey the color of coffee ice cream but milder and less sweet. A green tea version was familiar tasting, while the chai ice cream was the sweetest and most pungent.

Expanding the boundaries of tea as something more than a drink and exploring it as an ingredient can only be a rewarding experience for chefs, food fans and restauranteurs. For a tea novice, the first dip at Harney & Sons was both educational and satisfying.