Cathy here, adding a short post to mmm-yoso!!! while Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy with other parts of life.
Just a short Saturday post. Within other posts recently, I've alluded about my latest craving, tea eggs. These see to be the perfect snack-a portable protein with both salty and savory components. I've purchased prepared versions when I see tea eggs on the menu and have been trying to perfect my own version at home.
First, make hard boiled eggs- bring eggs in cold water to a boil and keep at a low boil/simmer for about five minutes.
Remove the eggs and tap the shell, slightly breaking it with a spoon. Into the still hot water used for cooking the eggs, add the above three ingredients- black tea, soy sauce and Five Spice (or whole anise). Of course,it depends on the size of your pan and the amount of water in it. You can't really add too much of any ingredient; the tea will end up flavoring the yolk and the soy and Five Spice will flavor the white of the egg. The ratios I have found to like (in my three quart pot) are: one Tablespoon of five spice: one Tablespoon plus one teaspoon of black tea (three teabags):1/4 cup of soy sauce. I do love salty…
Bring the ingredients to a low simmer in the pan and add the cracked eggs back in. Let simmer for 20 minutes. At first, the ingredients are not melded, as above.
After the 20 minutes of a low boil, the eggs are technically done, as above (you can see I added some star anise to the mix). You can leave the eggs in the liquid in the refrigerator for up to two days and the flavors really meld.
When peeled, the whites show the pattern left from the cracks. When cut, you can see the soy color has enveloped the egg white. The flavor of salt from the soy and tannin tart from the tea and almost sweet from the five spice are just what blends with other small snacks, as on the plate above, or is good by itself.
I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.