Tea Grilled
Chicken Drumsticks

Preparation (Chicken Drumsticks)

Place 3 tbsp of Assam Leaf Tea in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Add boiling water and steep, covered, for 6 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool. Discard the tea leaves. In a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle, finely grind the remaining 2 tbsp of tea leaves. Transfer to a medium bowl and add soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, chili sauce and black pepper to taste. Add the cooled steeped tea and stir to combine. Trim the drumsticks and set aside for another use (they are great for making stock). Place the drumsticks in a reusable plastic bag, then pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and make sure the drumsticks are coated with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.

Ingredients (Hot Green Dipping Sauce)

• 2 cups/ 30 g Fresh basil leaves
• ¾ cup/ 4 g Cilantro leaves
• 2-4 Jalapeno peppers, deveined and seeded
• 1/3 cup/75ml Rice vinegar
• ½ cup/120 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation (Hot Green Dipping Sauce)

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the basil, cilantro, jalapeno and vinegar. Process for 30 seconds, then, with the processor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube. Scrape down the sides, add salt and pepper to taste, then process again until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to cook the drumsticks. When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium and remove the drumsticks from the fridge to allow to come to room temperature. Remove drumsticks from the marinade (discard marinade) and grill (if using and outdoor grill, cover-cook with the vents open) until cooked through and juices are clear, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce on the side.