Dry Curing
There are many ways to cure eggs, and the practice has been around for thousands of years. You can use the Asian method of placing hard boiled shelled, eggs in clay and salt to brine overnight. By dry curing yolks separately you can turn the wobbly yolk into a hard disc that can be grated. The shavings are amazing over pasta and countless other dishes to add taste and richness. The soy curing method relies on soy sauce and mirin to transform yolks into firm, flavourful disks with a variety of uses.
Chef Kyle recommends infusing flavours and colours to make cured eggs even more unique. Beet juice adds amazing colour and a hint of earthy flavour while vodka or gin infusions make ideal accompaniments for on-trend cocktails.
How to Use Them
Grate cured eggs over creamy soups with delicate flavours such as cauliflower or Jerusalem artichokes. They also go amazingly well with:
- A spring risotto or pasta with broad beans and fresh peas
- Pizzas with lardo just out of the oven
- Roasted corn cob with butter and lime
- Toast with cod liver and sautéed chanterelles
- Fish dishes with creamy lemony sauces
- Sweet lobster with beurre noisette
Recipes
Pasta with langoustine, lobster sauce and grated cured egg
- This pasta is elegant and easy to prepare.
- See Full Recipe
Steak Tartare with Quick Cured Egg
- Marinate eggs in a wet brine overnight until they resemble sticky, umami rich lava lumps.
- See Full Recipe
A Cure for the Basics
- We revisit some classic dishes and take them to the next level by adding eggs – from cured to confit and from salted to smoked.
- Carbonara with Salted Egg - Buy salted duck eggs or make your own. Put two yolks and three whole eggs in a food processor with grated cheese and black pepper. Blend together and this will give you a rich base for carbonara sauce.
- Aioli with Smoked Egg Yolk - Blend mayonnaise with garlic and smoked egg yolks. Add herbs and spices to taste (pimento/paprika or curry leaves). This makes wonderful dip for fish and finger food.
- Pizza with Egg Yolk Confit - Top a pizza with a vegetable-like cime di rapa or wild broccoli, anchovies and then add in a confit egg yolk when the pizza comes out of the oven.
- Japanese Tsukune with Cured Egg Tare Sauce - The Japanese chicken meatball dish, Tsukune, is usually served with a tare sauce for dipping. To bring even more richness to the tare sauce, add a yolk in two hours before serving.
