Earl Grey Tea is Heavenly

I love teas so I've decided to put down a post on them starting with Earl Grey tea. It is absolutely my favourite mid-morning beverage. A real luxury. 

Wedgewood Plato teacup and saucer

I met a man whose business was buying and selling tea. I asked him what his favourite tea was and he said first flush darjeeling. I've heard before that this is the connoisseur's choice. I totally fail to see what the fuss is! When I told him my favourite was Twinnings Earl Grey tea (cringe) he raised an eyebrow and told me that Twinnings recipe remains a trade secret - noone has ever been able to replicate it.

Sifting Tea Phillips 1882:91 

Apparently the 2nd Earl Grey (3 March 1764 – 17 July 1845) was gifted from a Mandarin a blended tea that used the bergamot to counter the limey water found in Howick Hall Northumberland, where the Earl lived. It was so popular at the Lord and Lady's parties that the recipe was eventually sold in shops. 

The traditional base is a Chinese black tea. I find it too light when made with Sri Lankan orange pekoe. The bergamot quality can vary amongst brands so choose well. Anyway, it is said that Heston Blumenthal is a fan so I wont be put off by the naysayers.  I'm planing to give some of these a go:

• Fortnum and Masons Smokier Earl Grey Tea - Created in response to a request from the Palace for a smokier Earl Grey, this unique blend combines traditional bergamot with a touch of Lapsang and Gunpowder tea, combining the best qualities of all three. For years it was the only Earl Grey available at Fortnum's and remains popular for very good reason. 
• Algerian Coffee House's Imperial Noon -  A blend of Lapsang Souchong and Keemun with jasmine flowers and bergamot oil. 

See Mariage Frères for advice on brewing tea properly here

For a serious tea history by a very serious academic type see here

Recently I bought a jar of Earl Grey Tea Marmalade from Gail's Bakery for my friend. It is bloody good - and I don't eat marmalade. Here are some other ways to use Earl Grey tea that I've come across...

EARL GREY TEA COCKTAIL

This can be served with gin or vodka

Ingredients 

6 Earl Grey tea bags 

50g granulated sugar 

crushed ice 

200ml gin or vodka

juice of 1½ lemons 

a few pinches of saffron, to garnish (optional)

1 Steep the tea bags in 200ml just-boiled water for 4 minutes, adding the sugar and stirring until dissolved. Remove the tea bags.

Thanks Telegraph!

RHUBARB WITH EARL GREY TEA, CARDAMOM, AND ORANGE ZEST

Serves 6 fairly indulgent servings

3 cups roughly chopped (1-inch pieces) Braeburn apple, from 2 peeled apples

3 cups roughly chopped (1-inch pieces) rhubarb, from about 6 long thin ribs (just under 1 lb)

Juice of 1 small Meyer lemon

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar

Seeds of one green cardamom pod crushed well with mortar and pestle

2 bags of Earl Grey tea steeped in 3/4 cup just-boiled water for 3 minutes and then cooled

Zest of 2 Valencia oranges

Vanilla ice cream to serve

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chopped rhubarb and apple in a medium casserole dish or oven-safe pot.

Add remaining ingredients (retaining the zest of one orange and vanilla ice cream for later) and gently toss. I advise tasting one chunk of apple and one chunk of rhubarb at this stage. They will both be nicely sugar-coated and crisp.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir (it will smell so good). Bake an additional 15 minutes. Fruit should be tender and kitchen should smell even better than it did the first time you opened the oven door.

I let this batch cool slightly (5-10 minutes), spooned some into a bowl, and topped it with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I ate the rhubarb as the ice cream melted on top. 

Thanks to this blog!

DEAN & DELUCA'S TEA INFUSED YOGHURT POUND CAKE WITH EARL GREY TEA ICING

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used Giusto’s Vita Grain cake flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup water

1 Earl Grey tea bag

For the icing:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea

First, brew about a half cup of Earl Grey tea. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4-inch loaf pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, eggs, orange zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the tea mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the icing, combine the confectioners’ sugar and Earl Grey tea and pour as much as you like over the cake.
Thanks Dean & Deluca's

Earl Grey tea & cake for 

Sunday with Gillesz