Marbled tea eggs recipe
Striking eggs make the perfect finger food at parties

Known for their striking marbled appearance, tea eggs are sold by street vendors all over China and Hong Kong, said Jeremy Pang. They have a beautifully rich flavour, making them an ideal protein-rich snack at any time. They are also an excellent finger food at parties. If cooked too long, the eggs can become rubbery, so I cook them for five minutes exactly, and then plunge them into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. This guarantees deliciously jammy yolks.
Ingredients:
- 60g salt
- 12 fresh eggs, at room temperature
- 2 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- zest of 1 tangerine
- 3 tbsp jasmine tea leaves
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 a thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 4 spring onions
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 10 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 litre (1 3⁄4 pints) water
Method:
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- Put all of the marbling marinade ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, then boil for 10 minutes to deepen the colour and steep the tea.
- Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and place in the fridge to chill.
- Pour 2 litres (3 1⁄2 pints) of water into a separate large saucepan, add the salt and bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat to medium and carefully add the 12 eggs to the pan. Boil for 5 minutes exactly.
- Once the eggs have boiled, place them in a bowl of cold water to cool, running cold water from the tap over them for a minute or so, to ensure that they stop cooking.
- Once cooled, crack the eggs all the way around the shell, but do not peel the eggs at this point.
- Once cracked, place the eggs in the chilled marbling marinade for a minimum of 5 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
- Peel, and serve as a snack with crisps or as a side dish.
- Tip: this is a great accompaniment to a cold beer – Hong Kong style!
Taken from Hong Kong Kitchen by Jeremy Pang, published by Hamlyn at £25. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £22.99 (incl. p&p), visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
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