Quick salted egg yolk can resolve two problems: reducing processing time from 2 weeks to less than 1 day, and saving the egg whites for later use.
Salted eggs are a special food in East and Southeast Asian countries. They are main ingredients in some dishes as well as being used as a seasoning in others. This year, I’m seriously planning to make traditional mixed nuts & fruits mooncake, so I’m in need of some salted egg yolks. However, in Belgium, it’s not easy for me to find traditional cured salted duck egg yolks, so I decide to make “a few” by myself (and by “a few,” I mean two this time :D). This is the first time I’m making it, also because I needed 2-3 cured egg yolks for traditional and piggy mooncakes. After successfully making quick salted egg yolks, I’m excited to share it.
What are Cured Salted Egg Yolks
Salted egg yolk is the solid, orange-yellow center of a preserved duck or chicken egg that has been soaked or coated in a mixture of salt and herbs. During this process, the egg yolks are dehydrated, absorbing the salt and the flavor of the herbs. This gives the egg yolks a distinct salty and savory flavor. It adds a depth of richness and creaminess to various Asian dishes, such as salted egg yolk prawns, custard buns with salted egg yolk, and sweet snails or crabs in a salted egg yolk sauce. Salted egg yolk sauce is always my favorite for cooking and dipping.
The combination of salted egg yolks and various mooncake fillings is indeed perfect. The savory egg yolks balance the sweetness in mixed nuts & fruits or bean paste used in mooncake fillings. Therefore, when the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, this ingredient is indispensable. With every type of mooncake filling, you always have two options: with or without salted eggs.
Why you should try quick salted egg yolk
To understand the rationale behind the method of making quick salted egg yolks, we should first understand how people traditionally cure egg yolks in salt. There are two traditional methods: the “wet” and “dry” methods. In the “wet” method, people soak whole duck or chicken eggs in a brine solution for 2-4 weeks. In the “dry” method, eggs are coated with a salt paste and cured for 2-3 weeks. Once done, they crack the shells, remove the egg whites, and collect only the egg yolks.
There are two issues: we must wait at least two weeks to obtain cured salted egg yolks, and we have to discard all the salted egg whites, as they are too savory to be cooked and eaten normally and are not used in any other dishes, leading to food waste. As a result, the quick salted egg yolk method was created to shorten the processing time and save the egg whites for other uses, such as making meringue or macarons.
However, there is also a drawback: the globular shape of an egg yolk can’t be maintained; we end up with an oval-shaped salted egg yolk. This issue is particularly evident in homemade mooncakes, but it’s insignificant when making cured egg yolk sauce. After weighing its advantages and disadvantages, I still prefer the quick method.
Choosing Ingredients for quick salted egg yolk
It’s very simple: you will need duck or chicken eggs and salt. You can also mix several tablespoons of sugar, a bit of pepper, cinnamon powder, or thyme into the salt mix, but in general, salt and eggs are enough.
The original eggs for curing are duck eggs; however, since they are not as popular as chicken eggs, they are quite hard to find outside of Asia. Finally, I made 2 quick salted egg yolks from chicken eggs and pure salt. Note that salt flakes are not recommended, as they can pierce the yolks and spoil the whole batch.
How to make quick salted egg yolk
The making process is surprisingly easy. The total curing time is short as well; you can use it after 5-7 hours or ideally after a day. You can also leave them in the fridge for up to 5 days, but be aware that they will become super salty. Let’s follow these steps:
Step 1: Make a salt base & holes
Take a box from your kitchen, the size depending on the number of egg yolks you would like to cure in salt. Then, create a base of salt, about 1cm thick, by adding salt to the box and spreading it evenly to cover the surface. It’s about 150g (5 oz) of salt.
The salt base should be thick enough to create a hole. Use a whole egg to shape an oval hole in the salt. I planned to make 3; however, I accidentally pierced one yolk and had to remove it.
Step 2. Separate egg white and yolk
Now, crack the eggs into a bowl. Of course, the number of eggs you crack should be equal to the number of egg yolks you want to cure in salt. Gently separate the egg yolks from the whites. There are many ways to do this; for me, I choose the basic, easiest way using my hands (remember to wash your hands carefully before doing so). Otherwise, you can separate the egg whites from the yolks using the shell or a spoon. You can also crack the eggs on a grill or cooling rack and wait for the egg whites to drop down. Make sure there are no remaining whites around the yolks.
Save the egg whites for later use in meringue frosting or simply for poaching or frying. Transfer the yolks to the holes you prepared.
Step 3. Cover the yolks with salt
Finally, cover your egg yolks with a layer of salt. Make sure your yolks are fully covered in salt. Close the lid of the box and keep it in the fridge for 5-7 hours up to 5 days. For me, I cure them overnight. Remember that the longer the curing time, the saltier the yolks will be. I recommend curing the yolks for less than 1 day if you are curing them in salt only.
Step 4. Bake salted egg yolks
After the curing time, carefully remove the egg yolks from the salt. Rinse them under water until clear and check their textures. If you see clear egg yolks with a firm and slightly sticky texture, you have been successful. Pat them dry.
Finally, bake them to remove any excess liquid inside the yolk. This is for longer preservation; if you plan to use the yolk immediately, you can skip this step. However, I recommend baking the salted egg yolk; the texture would be firmer and less sticky.
Bake them at 176°F (80°C) for 30 minutes until the yolks are fully dry. Finally, transfer them into a clean container and use them for up to 3 months.
Super easy, isn’t it? Let’s discover many more ways to use quick salted egg yolks in making desserts, main courses, or even substituting them for cheese!
Quick Salted Egg Yolk
Quick salted egg yolk can ressolve two problems: reduce processing time from 2 weeks to less than 1 day, and save the egg whites for later use.
Ingredients
- 4 duck or chicken eggs
- 300 - 500g (1 1/4 - 2 cups) fine salt
- (Optional) 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp thyme
Instructions
Step 1: Make a salt base & holes
- Take a box, the size depends on the numbers of egg yolks you would like to cure. Then, make a base of salt or salt mix with sugar & herbs, about 1cm-2cm thick, by adding salt to the box and spread it evenly to cover the surface of the box.
- The salt base should be thick enough to make the hole. Use a whole egg to shape an oval hole on the salt.
Step 2. Separate egg white and yolk
- Now, crack eggs into a bowl. Gently separate egg yolks and whites. There are many ways to do it, using hands is the easiest one. Otherwise, you can remove egg whites from egg yolks using the shell, or a spoon. You can also crack the eggs on a grill/cooling rack and wait for the egg whites to drop down. Make sure there are no remaining whites around the yolks.
- Save the egg whites for later use in meringue frosting or simply poaching or frying. Transfer the yolks to the holes you prepared.
Step 3. Cover the yolks with salt
- Finally, cover the egg yolks with a layer of salt. Make sure your yolks are fully covered in salt. Close the lid of the box and keep it in fridge in 5-7 hours until 5 days. If you cure egg yolks with salt only, I recommend not to cure them longer than 1 day or else the yolks will be extremely salty. If you mix sugar, cinnamon or thyme in, you can keep them in longer time.
Step 4. Bake salted egg yolks
- After curing time, safely remove the egg yolks from salt. Rinse them under water until clear and check the textures of them. If you see a clear egg yolk with quite firm and sticky texture, you are successful. Pat them dry.
- Finally, bake them to remove any excess liquid inside the yolk. This is for longer preservation; if you plan to use the yolk immediately, you can skip this step. However, I recommend baking salted egg yolk, the texture would be firmer and less sticky.
- Bake it at 176°F (80°C) in 30 minutes until the yolks are fully dry. Finally, transfer them into a clean container and use in up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 salted eggsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 228