Chai Tea Eggs (茶鸡蛋)

Some of my favorite family vacation memories growing up are from camping trips. To be honest, the main reason that I looked forward to these camping trips was for the food. For some reason, everything tasted better cooked over an open flame and after a two hour hike. Barbequed meat galore, roasted sweet corn, sweet potatoes, and campfire s’mores made for a wild dinner feast. Come morning, the sweet smell of breakfast swept across the campsite. My mom boiled rice porridge over a tiny portable propane stove and heated up leftover barbeque. She also dug out these delicious tea-scented, soy sauce eggs from the depths of our cooler. It probably sounds weird if you’ve never had one, but seriously, try it before you judge. It beats any regular hard boiled humpty-dumpty by a thousand miles. I scarfed them down as fast as I could peel those suckers.

For some reason, my mom only made these eggs for camping trips. To ten-year old me, tea eggs were a rare treat that could only be enjoyed after sleeping under a canopy full of mosquitos. In college, I came to a stunning realization. Tea eggs don’t have to be eaten in the wilderness; I can make and eat them in the comfort of my air-conditioned apartment! It’s literally as easy as boiling water.

Traditional tea eggs require a smorgasbord of spices and an epically long simmer that chains you to the kitchen for over an hour. I’ve streamlined my recipe to only five ingredients and less than fifteen minutes of hands-on time. Skipping the simmer also allows for golden yellow, tender yolks without that nasty green ring that plagues most hard boiled eggs. Check out that beautiful yolk:

The long steep in the refrigerator flavors the eggs so time it according to how salty you prefer your eggs. I found a 24 hour steep to be just right. I would recommend trying one after 12 hours in order to decide if you want to take the rest of them out or go for a longer steep. Don’t throw away the cooking liquid after you take out the eggs! You can freeze it and use it again later, use it to boil edamame, or even braise meat in it. You won’t regret it.

For a traditional Chinese breakfast, serve the eggs alongside rice porridge and pickled vegetables. These eggs also make a delicious, portable and protein-packed snack that’s perfect for bringing to work or class. Happy munching!

Chai Tea Eggs (茶鸡蛋)

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs

• ½ cup soy sauce (NOT low sodium)

• 3 packets of your favorite chai tea*

• 1 tsp. salt

• 2 tbsps. dark brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a rapid boil; turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 6-7 minutes.

2. Drain the hot water over the sink. Rinse the eggs with cold water until cool enough to handle. Using the back of a heavy knife, crack the eggshells all over. (A giant Chinese cleaver is recommended for this task.)

3. Rinse out the saucepan. Add the soy sauce, tea packets, salt, sugar, and about 4 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil. Turn off the heat and carefully drop in the eggs. The liquid should fully cover the eggs. If not, add hot water until the eggs are just covered.

4. Let sit until the mixture comes to room temperature, about an hour. Cover and refrigerate the eggs in the soy sauce mixture for at least 12 hours and up to 36 hours.

5. Fish out the eggs using a slotted spoon. Discard the tea bags and save the cooking liquid for another use. Peel and enjoy right away or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

#chinese #asian #breakfast #eggs #snack #tea