Japanese Marinated Soft Boiled Egg for Ramen (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Woooooo, I'm back but just a short period.

This I so want to keep in my recipe book! Muahaha. A definite Serious Eats

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Note: This recipe can be made using leftover broth from chashu pork. If you have this broth, replace all the ingredients in the marinade with the broth.

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

JAPANESE MARINATED SOFT BOILED EGG FOR RAMEN (AJITSUKE TAMAGO)

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About This Recipe

YIELD:	makes 6 eggs
ACTIVE TIME:	10 minutes
TOTAL TIME:	At least 4 hours to marinate
THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN:	The Food Lab Redux: How to Make the Perfect Bowl of Tonkotsu RamenThe Food Lab, Ramen Edition: How to Make a Marinated Soft Boiled Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sake
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 eggs

Procedures

1. 1
   Combine water, sake, soy, mirin, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set aside
2. 2
   Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Pierce fat end of each egg with a thumbtack to make a tiny hole (this prevents them from cracking and eliminates the air bubble at the end). Carefully lower eggs into water with a wire mesh spider or slotted spoon. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook for exactly 6 minutes. Drain hot water and carefully peel eggs under cold running water (the whites will be quite delicate).
3. 3
   Transfer eggs to a bowl that just barely fits them all. Pour marinade on top until eggs are covered or just floating. Place a double-layer of paper towels on top and press down until completely saturated in liquid to help keep eggs submerged and marinating evenly. Refrigerate and marinate at least four hours and up to 12. Discard marinade after 12 hours. Store eggs in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in ramen soup to serve.