You might not think of tea as a dinner ingredient, but it works quite well as a marinade. Here it provides only flavor, but it can also work to tenderize a tough piece of meat. The important thing to remember is to use high-quality, preferably loose-leaf, teas — bitter store-brand tea bags will not work here.

Black Tea Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups very strongly brewed tea, cooled
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Lay the pepper corns and juniper berries on a heavy cutting board, and crack open with a mallet or the side of a knife. Add cracked spices, garlic, and salt to tea; stir to combine. Place chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag, pour marinade over chicken, and carefully remove most of the air. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight. Drain marinade and cook chicken as desired.

Serves 4.