CURED EGG YOLKS RECIPE

Yes you read that right – cured egg yolks! I imagine your first thought might be “why would you cure egg yolks?” just after “I didn’t know you can cure egg yolks!”.
 
Whilst it has been part of trend in fine dining since 2016 to grate a little dry cured egg yolk over the dish, the simple truth is dry cured egg yolks have been a staple part of rural Chinese cooking for eons, when the process was used primarily for preservation. First mentions of salting eggs in this way appearing in Qimin Yaoshu (Essential Techniques for the Peasantry), an ancient Chinese agriculture text from the 5th Century.
 
They deliver a wonderful concentrated burst of umami flavour, and once cured, they last forever in the fridge. They are luxurious when grated, like a hard cheese, over pasta or rice dishes, or even a salad, adding a level of decadence that brings your dish to another level. Egg yolks and salt are two ingredients with universal acceptance globally delivering a savoury and rich burst of flavour.

Ingredients : Salt, Sugar, and Eggs

If you have never tried this then I’d urge you to give it a shot – and it’s a wonderful way to use up those eggs nearing their ‘best before’ date. Once made, they can be kept on the fridge for months in a food container.
 
Just like the process with curing meats the salt draws the water out from the eggs through osmosis; and by lowering the moisture content it makes it near impossible for micro-organisms like mould and bacteria to grow and lead to food spoilage.

INGREDIENTS
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6 eggs (chicken or duck)
Table Salt or cooking salt
Sugar (white or light brown)
Small dish or food grade container

METHOD
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1.To make the dry cure you want a 50/50 mix of salt and sugar. So for every cup of  salt you add to a bowl you add a cup of sugar. Since the amount will depend upon the size of the container you are using start with a cup of each and mix it thoroughly.
2.Put a layer of the cur mix on the base of the dish pr container to about 1cm-1.5cm thick.
3.Grab and egg and press the base of it into the mix to make a crater – this will make it easier when you pop the yolks in.
4.Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks (you can use the egg whites in another recipe, they will store in the fridge for a day or two if covered) and one by one pop the egg yolk into the crater.
5.Once all the egg yolks ad nestled into their salt beds you want to cover them completely with more of your dry cure. The more the better, until you have a good layer over the yolks and can’t see them at all.
6.Cover the dish with clingfilm or close the food container lid and put it in the fridge where it is going to sit for a week. If you are using duck eggs then I would leave it up to 2 weeks as these are much larger than chicken eggs. Don’t panic if you forget about them – it won’t do them any harm staying longer.
7.At the end of the 7 or 14 days – you want to remove them from the salt . They will appear like hard golden lozenges – you want to run them briefly under a light running tap to remove any remaining salt or sugar granules.
8.Pat dry and pop them on a dish to air dry for a few hours until the surface is bone dry and then store in a container in the fridge and use on demand.

To Use:
Grate over your pasta, rice, or salad with a fine grater and enjoy! Then revel in the majesty that is you have made a cured egg yolk and will do regularly now you see how easy it really is!

My kids love grating this over so many dishes its hard to keep the production line up sometimes.