I often combine my passions and this tea adventure – a combination of tea and food – was no different.  Kukicha, a green tea, has great citrus notes that I thought would go well with the fish I was going to make for dinner.  The marinade I describe below can be made with any tea and ingredients you desire.  The beauty of cooking with tea is that once you learn the basics, you can incorporate them into your favorite recipes.  I used the first infusion for the marinade and I drank the second with dinner.

Kukicha in a dish next to a cup of prepared tea

Ingredients

The Kukicha Marinade

  • 2 tablespoons of Rishi Tea Organic Kukicha green tea (I can’t help but love Rishi!)
  • 8 ounces of water
  • 1 orange
  • 1 lime
  • 1 lemon
  • Grated ginger (to taste)
  • ¼ cup of chopped cilantro
  • 1 sliced jalapeno
  • 3 sprigs of green onion, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

The Fish and Dressings

  • 1-1/2 pounds of wild-caught Pacific Sole fillets
  • 1-1/2 cups of shiitake mushrooms
  • ½ cup of oyster mushrooms
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons of butter
  • Dash of salt and pepper
  • Prepared rice

Instructions

  1. Set oven to 350 F.
  2. Make Kukicha green tea.
    1. Boil water (212 F).
    2. Let water cool to 185 F.
    3. Add 2 tablespoons of tea to 8 ounces of water.
    4. Steep 2-3 minutes.
    5. Pour tea into a bowl.
    6. Make Kukicha green tea.
Prepared sole on a dish
  1. Make Kukicha marinade.
    1. Squeeze the juice of 1 orange, 1 lime, and 1 lemon into the bowl with the brewed Kukicha.
    2. Grate a piece of ginger.
    3. Add the chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, and sliced jalapeno.
    4. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
    5. Set aside half a cup of the marinade for the mushrooms and bell peppers; the rest is for the fish.
  2. Bake fish.
    1. Place cleaned fish in a shallow baking dish.
    2. Add a dash of salt and pepper to each fillet.
    3. Pour the marinade over each fillet.
    4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    5. Lay each fillet on a greased, flat baking sheet.
    6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the fish is opaque.
  3. Saute vegetables.
    1. Melt butter and add the chopped garlic.
    2. Saute the garlic, and then add the mushrooms and bell peppers.
    3. Saute for 2 minutes and add the remaining marinade.
    4. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  4. Serve with rice and enjoy!!!

Make your second infusion of tea and enjoy with dinner!

This article has been reformatted and updated from the original June 2010 publication.

Photo “The Bush – A superb lemon sole” is copyright under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License to the photographer Herry Lawford and is being posted unaltered (source)