Tea leaf egg (茶葉蛋) is a typical Chinese savoury food commonly eat as snack, in which boiled eggs are cracked slightly and then boiled again in the tea, sauce and spices.
It is also know as marble egg because cracks in the egg shell create darkened lines with marble-like patterns.
RECIPE
Servings/Yields: 6 | Prep Time: ~15 Minutes | Cook Time: ~2 Hours
Ingredients
6 eggs
1 litre of water / enough to cover the eggs
2 black tea bags
1½ tablespoons Tie Guan Yin 鐵觀音 or Oolong 烏龍 tea leaf or Pu-erh 普洱 (can adjust to taste)
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder 五香粉 (can skip if you don’t have it on hand)
Method
0. If you are using eggs stored in refrigerator – Bring the eggs to room temperature by leaving them out of the refrigerator for a couple hours.
1. Put eggs into pot. Add water and make sure it covers the eggs. Bring the water (with eggs in it) to boil on high heat. Cover pot with lid and continue to boil for about 1 min with low heat. Off the fire, keep the eggs in the covered pot for 10 mins
2. Transfer the eggs out of the water and rinse them with cold water. Allow them to sit in the cold water until they are completely cool to the touch. Using the back of a teaspoon, gently tap the eggshell to crack the shell. Make sure the action is delicate in order to keep the shell intact.
3. Return the eggs to the water and add in the remaining ingredients (ensure all the eggs are completely submerged in the sauce base).
4. Bring the tea mixture to a boil with lid on then turn to low heat and simmer for 15 mins.
5. Take out the tea leafs and continue to simmer for another 105 mins, add more water if needed to ensure enough water to cover eggs.
6. Serve immediately or leave the tea eggs in the mixture overnight to further develop the color and flavour (the longer you steep, the more flavourful and deeply marbled the tea eggs will be).
* These tea leaf eggs last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator (reheat before eat)
smacznego!
bon appétit!
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If you are in Poland and would like to give it a bite, you can order at my EATAWAY