You Have to Cure Egg Yolk in Soy Sauce
If anything could make me believe in a higher power (and that they have a sense of humor) it is the existence of eggs. This is the ideal food (which we get from the ass of a nearly flightless bird). The high protein content combined with a juicy, vitamin-rich yolk makes it a versatile and nutritious food. The eggs are stunning on their own, but they easily slide right into a supporting role. Sauces, cakes, and even drinks , just about anything can be enhanced with an egg or egg yolk.
I admit that the yolk is my favorite part, although only a truly sick person would prefer the white. The yolk is where the taste is. I love it in all its manifestations. I put raw yolk in a bowl of grits and rub sun-dried yolk on everything, including stuffed eggs, but recently I’ve made soy-sauce sun-dried egg yolks, which fall somewhere between raw and sun-dried.
How to cure with soy sauce
Salting in soy sauce is very similar to dry salting, only the salt dissolves in a liquid (soy sauce) rather than in a crystalline form. However, it doesn’t really matter because osmosis happens anyway. A higher solute (salt) concentration on one side of a semi-permeable membrane (in this case a Wittelin membrane) causes the solvent (water) to flow towards the region of higher solute concentration in an attempt to equalize the concentrations on both sides of the membrane.
The water flows out of the yolk, concentrating its flavor and giving it a thicker texture, while the soy sauce seasons the yolk, resulting in a savory jam that looks just as good in a bowl of hot rice or over leftover pizza.
How long does it take?
Unlike dry salting, which dehydrates the yolk into something that can be grated like cheese, wet salting is a faster process with a softer, more spreadable result. (You could probably get similar results with dry drying, but it would be difficult to separate the yolk from the salt mixture without breaking the yolk.) After four hours of soy drying, the yolk will be slightly hard at the very edges and immobile. liquid in the center, with a slightly salty, piquant taste. After eight hours, it will become a little firmer and a little saltier. After 24 years, it’s firm but can be spreadable and quite salty, depending on how much soy sauce you’ve used (and how much everything else).
Cook With Dana’s Dana has an adorable Instagram video where she talks about the implications of different curing times with tasty serving suggestions, but there is no one “correct” curing time. I suggest you watch it, then play with the time and find your favorite.
How much soy sauce do you need?
Soy sauce is the most important ingredient in soy egg yolks, as it contains salt, which is essential for osmosis, but a salt bath with any soy sauce will leave you with a heavily salted yolk, especially after a long soak. .
To soften the saltiness and add sweetness, you can add a little mirin (Japanese cooking wine). A tablespoon for every quarter cup of soy sauce works well, and if you want to add even more flavor, try Dana’s “Extra Umami” yolks , which contain onion, garlic, kombu, and bonito flakes. If you want your yolks to be pickled, you can make shoyozuki (soy pickled) yolks using a ratio of one part vinegar to two parts soy sauce, plus a little sugar.
How to make soy egg yolks
Half a glass of liquid will cure 8-10 yolks. If you want to start simple, mix 1/2 cup soy sauce with 2 tablespoons of mirin in a medium bowl or container (it should be large enough to hold only the yolks). Place the yolks in the salting solution and place a paper towel on top so that the tops of the yolks are also salty. Refrigerate for 4-24 hours, depending on your preference. (I recommend starting around 8-12 o’clock.)
Scoop out the yolks with a spoon and spread them on toast (or pizza), put them on a plate of rice, or add them to ramen. They are also good in a salad, both green and deli. (Just imagine a potato salad with spicy jam mixed with egg yolk. I did, and it made me happy.)
Once you’re satisfied with the standing time, try adding other flavors such as ginger, garlic, bonito, dashi, or chili flakes and experiment with soy sauce. Japanese, Chinese, and Thai soy sauce have different flavor profiles, and if you want to get really wild, you can try swapping fish sauce for something a little more unusual. If your yolks are too salty for your taste, simply mix them with a bowl of plain rice, allowing the yolk to act as a seasoning for your entire meal. Then try again, adjusting the proportions and timing, until you get the texture and flavor that excites you.