Marbled tea eggs recipe

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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