Tea Eggs
These marbled eggs with their maze of fine lines, have an antique porcelain appearance. Tea eggs can be served as a snack with congee, a popular chinese soft rice dish. They also make perfect picnic fare; shell them just before eating so that they stay moist.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 30ml / 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 5ml / 1 tsp salt
- ½ star anise
- 2 tea bags
Preparation
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- Add the eggs to a pan of cold water. Heat it to simmering point and hard boil the eggs for 20 minutes.
- Drain the eggs and pour enough fresh cold water into the pan to cover. Set the eggs aside. When they are cold, gently roll the eggs to craze the shells without breaking them.
- Stir the soy sauce, salt and star anise into the pan of water. Add the tea bags and eggs. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1½-2 hours. Top up the water to keep the eggs covered.
- Allow the eggs to cool in the liquid overnight, then shell carefully. Quarter and serve as part of a meal.
COOK'S. TIPS
- The soy sauce and tea not only colours the eggs but adds a subtle flavour as well. Use dark soy sauce, which has a stronger flavour.
- Make sure that the eggs simmer very gently and watch them carefully so that the soy sauce liquid doesn't evaporate too much. Keep topping up the liquid with recently boiled water from the kettle so that the eggs are always covered.
Makes 6.