Hot tea smoked chicken breast.

I first made this under the instruction of Mafia Mum and was dubious to say the least. Firstly why would you and secondly was it actually going to work? Well I can safely say I was 15 years old at the time and felt I was a culinary genius after tasting the results. All credit to Ma. You could do this with a salmon fillet or a duck breast as well.

Ingredients
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
A little soy sauce to brush over the chicken.
One cup of loose leaf tea (jasmine teas nice but I did once use Red Label)
One cup of rice (any kind)
Half a cup of sugar
A couple of bay leaves
Pan with a lid.
Tin foil
Small plate

Line frying pan with tin foil leaving plenty of over hang. Place the tea, rice and sugar mixed together in the frying pan. Cover with the overhanging tin foil. Ensuring its well sealed. Place a small plate on top of the foil covered tea mixture and top with your chicken breasts, which you've seasoned with soy sauce. You can poke a couple of holes in the foil if you want too.

With another piece of foil cover the pan with the foil like a tight lid and clamp the lid down bringing any loose foil up over the sides to give a nice seal. Place on the hob for 15 minutes. If you've done everything nice and tight only a very small amount of smoke should escape the rest should be trapped in the pan under the lid and foil. After 15 mins turn off the pan and leave for at least an hour. Don't be tempted to lift the lid during this time. Once it's cooled you should remove the chicken and it will be cooked perfectly all the way through, and have a delicate flavour of the tea smoke. Slice on a diagonal and have in a salad.

I'd wrap a slice of Parma ham around it for a saltiness if not using soy. But then quickly colour it off in a frying pan to get it nice and crispy.

You can season your raw chicken anyway you like before you smoke it. Also add star anise, coriander or cumin seeds, whatever you want to the smoking mixture.

The tin foil is a necessity or you'll have a burnt mess on the bottom of your pan. Be careful that you don't discard this when its hot because sugar is lethal when hot. Another reason to like it is you only have to wash the little plate!!!