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Why It Works
- Utilizing high-quality unfastened leaf tea produces a flavorful marinade for the eggs.
- Tapping the eggshells firmly creates well-defined cracks, giving the eggs their distinct marbled look after they’ve marinated.
In Singapore, the place I grew up, there was a tea egg stall subsequent to the prepare station close to my house, and the intoxicating odor of soy sauce, tea leaves, and heat spices usually enticed me to purchase an egg for the stroll house. The snack—which consists of hard-boiled eggs which might be usually marinated in a aromatic combination of soy sauce, tea, and heat spices like cassia bark or cinnamon, cloves, and star anise—is frequent in lots of components of Asia, together with Taiwan and Hong Kong. After the eggs cook dinner, folks faucet the shells with a spoon to kind a high-quality net of hairline cracks that permit the liquid to seep by, producing the egg’s signature marbled look when peeled.
Most culinary historians consider that tea eggs originated in China, the place legend has it that through the Qing dynasty, folks boiled eggs in a pot of tea for comfort—why make tea and eggs in separate pots when you possibly can make them collectively in the identical pot? As tea-boiled eggs grew to become extra well-liked, those that couldn’t afford costly tea leaves made up for utilizing low-quality tea leaves by infusing the tea leaves right into a grasp inventory or braising liquid relatively than water.
I now stay within the Netherlands, the place there aren’t any tea eggs to be discovered except you make them your self. Fortunately for me, they’re simple to make—and with my recipe beneath, you may recreate this traditional snack at house.
Severe Eats / Vy Tran
The Finest Tea to Use for the Marinade
The steeping liquid for the eggs typically consists of unfastened leaf oolong tea, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and spices, although the precise mixture used varies from place to position and cook dinner to cook dinner. As a result of tea is essentially the most dominant taste right here, utilizing high-quality loose-leaf tea—which is extra sturdy and nuanced than most bagged teas—is crucial. The kind of tea can fluctuate: many tea egg traditionalists suggest black tea, oolong is usually utilized in Taiwan, and a few favor jasmine tea for its floral profile. Pu-erh is a superb selection if you wish to use black tea, and I’ve used each Tie Guan Yin, an oolong tea, and Xiang Pian, a aromatic combination of inexperienced tea leaves and jasmine blossoms. Each labored properly: The Tie Guan Yin eggs have been subtly smoky, whereas the Xiang Pian eggs had delicate floral notes. In the end, you should utilize whichever tea that you simply like; what issues greater than the form of tea you utilize is its high quality. Whereas some consider that the kind of tea impacts the color of the tea eggs (the darker the tea, the darker the eggs), its impact on the colour of the eggs is pretty minimal; relatively, how a lot soy sauce you utilize within the marinade is a extra vital issue.
How one can Obtain the Signature Marbled Look
I take advantage of a mix of sunshine and darkish Chinese language soy sauces within the marinating liquid, each as a result of the darkish soy sauce provides the eggs a darker hue and since they’ve completely different taste profiles, so utilizing them each provides the eggs a extra nuanced taste. If you happen to don’t have darkish soy sauce, although, you possibly can simply use gentle soy sauce. I do suggest utilizing Chinese language or Chinese language-style soy sauce for each the darkish and light-weight soy sauces since their flavors are completely different from different soy sauces, equivalent to Japanese ones.
To offer the eggs their distinct marbled look, it’s important to create well-defined cracks that can permit the liquid to seep by. In my expertise, one of the best ways to do that is by utilizing the again of a spoon to rigorously crack the eggs throughout. You don’t need to apply a lot strain that enormous areas kind between the shell and the egg (this produces patches of darkish brown relatively than the specified mottled impact), however you do need well-defined cracks for the liquid to seep by. Whereas some consider that tea eggs should be boiled within the marinade to totally infuse it with taste and coloration, I’ve discovered that steeping it within the marinade for at the least 24 hours achieves the identical impact.
Making a batch of those eggs takes me straight again to my childhood. I can virtually hear the rumble of the trains.
Severe Eats / Vy Tran
This Recipe for Candy and Savory Boiled Eggs Brings Me Again to My Childhood in Singapore
Cook dinner Mode
(Maintain display screen awake)
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2 cups (475 ml) Chinese language gentle soy sauce
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1/4 cup (60 ml) darkish soy sauce
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6 cups (1.4 L) water
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1 cup gentle brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces; 213 g)
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One 3-inch piece ginger (2 1/2 ounces; 70 g), lower into 1/4-inch segments
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One 3-inch piece galangal (1/2 ounce; 15 g), lower into 1/4-inch segments (see notes)
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2 teaspoons fennel seeds
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10 cloves
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6 star anise
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Two 3-inch items cassia bark, see notes
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1 1/2 ounces (40 g) unfastened leaf tea, equivalent to tie guan yin, xiang pian or pu-erh, see notes
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12 giant eggs
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In a medium pot, mix gentle soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, galangal, fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, and cassia bark. Deliver to a boil over medium-high warmth, stirring sometimes to dissolve sugar. Scale back warmth to low and simmer till deeply infused with the perfume of the spices and aromatics, about 20 minutes.
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Utilizing a fine-mesh sieve, pressure liquid right into a heatproof container or bowl. Add tea leaves and let steep till leaves unfurl and liquid is fragrant, about quarter-hour. (If utilizing black or oolong tea, add tea leaves instantly. If utilizing a extra delicate tea, equivalent to jasmine, let liquid cool barely to 158 to 176°F/70 to 80°C earlier than including tea.)
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In the meantime, arrange an ice bathtub by filling a big bowl with ice and water. Deliver a big pot of water to the boil. Utilizing a slotted spoon or strainer, gently decrease eggs into water and cook dinner to your required doneness: 6 minutes for soft-boiled, 7 minutes for jammy yolks, or 11 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Utilizing slotted spoon or strainer, take away eggs and instantly place in ice bathtub. Permit eggs to chill for at the least quarter-hour.
Severe Eats / Vy Tran
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Utilizing the again of a spoon, firmly faucet eggshells throughout to kind outlined cracks. (There must be cracks however the eggshell ought to nonetheless be in a single piece.) Place eggs in tea combination, cowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate till the eggs have developed a definite marbled look and are properly seasoned, about 24 hours. Let eggs sit at room temperature for 10 minutes earlier than serving.
Severe Eats / Vy Tran
Particular Gear
Medium pot, fine-mesh sieve, giant bowl, slotted spoon or strainer, giant pot
Notes
Gentle soy sauce will be substituted for darkish soy sauce within the recipe, although the tea eggs might have a much less complicated taste.
If galangal is unavailable, you may put together the tea eggs with out it, however they could be much less complicated in taste.
If cassia bark is unavailable, cinnamon sticks can be utilized as an alternative.
Make-Forward and Storage
Tea eggs will be refrigerated of their marinating liquid in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days; they may turn out to be darker and extra flavorful the longer they sit. Let eggs come to room temperature for 10 minutes earlier than serving.
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