Tea-Smoked Chicken Thighs with Turnips and Scallion Oil

Chicken thighs tea-smoke over dark leaf and rice until bronzed and fragrant, then meet tender turnips and hot scallion oil. The plate echoes Bricks Bound for the Pass, where Yunnan bricks traveled the Tea Horse Road as currency toward highland butter-tea country.

Serves 4

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Ingredients

• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup loose dark tea (pu-erh or similar)
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 4 medium turnips
• 6 scallions
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. 1Season the chicken thighs with salt. Place them on a rack in a wok or large pot. Line the bottom with foil, then add the dark tea and rice. Cover tightly and smoke over medium heat for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
2. 2While the chicken smokes, peel and cut the turnips into wedges. Boil them in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and toss with the butter while still hot.
3. 3Slice the scallions thinly. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan until shimmering, then pour the hot oil over the scallions in a heatproof bowl. Stir in the remaining salt to make the scallion oil.
4. 4Once smoked, crisp the chicken skin in a hot skillet for 3-4 minutes if desired.
5. 5Serve the tea-smoked chicken thighs with the buttered turnips, drizzled generously with the scallion oil.