Saying "chai tea" is like saying the La Brea Tar Pits. It's redundant, explains Kevin Wilson, dubbed the "CEO of Chai" by Bon Appétit. Spending nearly the first two decades of his life in Sri Lanka, Wilson has a personal connection to the tea trade. His grandfather worked on a British tea estate, checking the quality of the tea before it was processed. Today, Wilson has his sights set on a specific goal. He encourages a contemplative life, one cup at a time, without a recipe, to remind us that sometimes the best things in life can't be measured.
Wilson's book is The Way of Chai: Recipes for a Meaningful Life.
Kevin’s Signature
Chai
Serves 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes • Cooking Time: 3 hours
These are the baby back ribs I used to defeat Bobby Flay on the Food Network television show Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Let me remind you that as a cook, I can’t compete with Bobby Flay. The man is beyond talented. He just happened to challenge me on a dish I think I have mastered.
My rib technique involves smoking the racks for two hours, then steaming them with vinegar sauce for a few minutes, then drying them out again with more rub and smoke. The result is moist, fall-off-the-bone, winning ribs.
Ingredients
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
- 1⁄2 cup filtered water
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons loose leaf Ceylon BOPF black tea
- 1⁄2 cup full-fat milk
- 1⁄2 cup full-fat evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh crushed ginger
- 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
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Crush the cardamom and cinnamon with a mortar and pestle and set aside.
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In a medium pot, heat the water over medium heat. When you see small bubbles at the bottom of the pot, add the tea.
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When the water comes to a boil, keep stirring and aerating for 30 seconds. Then add the full-fat milk and evaporated milk. Add the crushed spices and ginger. Stir.
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When the tea rises to the top of the pot, turn the heat off. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a pitcher. Strain the tea into the pitcher through a fine-mesh strainer. Stir vigorously so that all the condensed milk dissolves completely. Aerate the tea by transferring it between the pot and the pitcher a few times or by using an electric frother, till you see a foam appearing on the surface of the tea.
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Pour the tea into cups and divide the pinch of salt between them. Serve and enjoy!
"The Way of Chai: Recipes for a Meaningful Life" teaches us how to make a perfect cup while offering lessons in love and compassion. Photo courtesy of Tarcher Perigee.