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“Making the powdered charred leek took a long time. I first charred the leeks very slowly until it was nearly petrified. 300 degrees develops an umami flavor that complements the sweetness of the Sugar Plum Fairy blend. I added the tea to the mix, charred it for another hour, and got it to a nice, rich, dark black color. Then, I cooled, pulverized, and sieved it to a fine powder. A faster way could have been torching the leeks and setting it over a flame, but I wanted to develop the bitter and umami flavors slowly to yield a better product. If I did it too quickly, you would taste more char and gassiness, whereas there’s more depth if you go slower.” - Marck Banagan, Executive Sous Chef at The Palace Hotel San Francisco
Servings: 1
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In time for the holidays, TEALEAVES, in a collaboration with 15+ ballet companies, 10+ luxury hotel partners, and an antiquarian horologist, launched the worldwide Nutcracker #AfternoonTEALEAVES: Gifts of Time initiative. The project is a twist to the traditional gift guide that offers experiential pairings to afternoon tea, themed after the story of the Nutcracker, and celebrates the arts, true craftsmanship, and spending quality time with others.
Piece together your real-life Nutcracker fairytale and explore various ‘Gifts of Time’. Journey to Nutcracker.AfternoonTEALEAVES.com.