A Glass Half Full
Water Wisdom and Life with Mossy Kilcher
Mossy Kilcher has been drinking Alaska water all her life. At 80, Mossy has filled her cup from springs, tasted millennia of glacier melt, and warme...
As Mossy Kilcher says, a clean glass of water needs no recipe. Inspired by Mossy’s thoughtful gathering of Alaska’s bounty, this warming milk tea riffs on the familiar boba tea with homemade yarrow-flavored, tinier pearls. An optional pinch of butterfly pea powder makes the pearls look like water droplets in the glass. The pearl recipe can be adapted to just about any liquid (wines, juices, vinegars, coffees, broths, etc.) if the same ratio of liquid to agar is used. Agar gives the eye appeal of molecular gastronomy with relative ease in the kitchen.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 2 cups of milk tea Cup(s)
For the tea
- 2 cups fresh milk
- 2 teaspoons Alaska honey
- ¼ cup fresh, frozen, or dried spruce tips
- Pinch of salt
For the pearls
- 2/3 cup water
- 1–2 tablespoons dried yarrow or 1 bag yarrow tea
- 2 grams (about 1 teaspoon) agar powder
- 1/3 cup neutral oil like safflower or grapeseed
- Pinch of butterfly pea flower powder, optional
Preparation
Make the pearls: Pour your neutral oil into a tall glass and freeze for about 30 minutes to chill. Oil must be cold. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, add yarrow, and let steep for at least 5 minutes. Strain yarrow or remove tea bag. Whisk agar and, if using, butterfly pea powder into water and bring to a low boil; simmer for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes as you get your oil and a pipette. Fill the pipette with the yarrow mixture and with steady pressure, drop small droplets into the cold oil. Continue until you have used all your mixture. Drain the oil with a fine mesh sieve (you can reuse this oil). Rinse the pearls in cold water. Pearls will store for 1–2 days.
Make the tea: In a small saucepan, warm the milk, honey, spruce tips, and salt until steaming. Strain spruce tips. Pour most of the milk into 2 heatproof glasses (something clear is nice so you can see the pearls) and drop in the blue yarrow pearls. If you are feeling fancy, reserve a little milk and whisk for a foamy top, or just top off with the rest. Drink by a fire while listening to Northwind Calling.
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