Cured Egg Yolks

Cured egg yolks. So delicious. Grate these beautiful bright yellow yolks over soups, salads, pastas or any dish you like for a rich hit of umami.

These salt-cured egg yolks are so easy to make and will raise your dishes to the next level.

For some helpful tips before you begin, click here.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups (273 g) salt
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
6 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the curing mixture for the egg yolks.

– Mix the salt and sugar together in a bowl until well-combined.
– Spread about half of the salt/sugar mixture on a the bottom of a pie plate, 8×8-inch pan or similar size shallow dish.
– Make 6 indentations in the salt/sugar with an uncracked egg or the back of a spoon, evenly spaced apart.

2. Cure the egg yolks in the salt/sugar mixture.

– Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.

Try to remove as much of the egg whites as possible.
Keep the whites in a covered container in the refrigerator to use for something else or freeze.

– Carefully place an egg yolk in each of the indentation.
– Gently cover the egg yolks with the remaining salt/sugar mixture. Make sure the yolks are completely covered.
– Cover the pie plate or shallow dish with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for 4 to 7 days.

3. Dry out the cured egg yolks.

– Preheat the oven to 150°F (65°C). Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and place over a baking sheet.

– After the egg yolks have cured and they are semi-firm, gently dig them out of the salt mixture.
– Rinse them under cold water to remove any salt and pat them dry with a paper towel or let them air dry for a few minutes.
– Place the egg yolks on the wire rack and into the warm oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until firm (like a firm cheese).

If your oven doesn’t go that low, try just using the oven light. It may take longer than 2 hours, though.
Or just let dry in an unheated, closed oven for 2 days.

TO SERVE:

Grate over soups, salads, pastas or any dish you like for a lightly salty hit of umami.

TO STORE:

Store the cured egg yolks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

*****

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Salt-cured egg yolks are easy to make and add a boost of umami to whatever dish you sprinkle it on.

Use these cured egg yolks grated over savory dishes, (almost as you would use firm cheese). Or use them for salty-sweet dishes like in these Salted Egg Yolk Buns (recipe coming soon).

TIPS:

Clear the egg yolk of as much egg white as possible. Clear any little strands of white as well. If it helps, rinse with little water, but let drip as much as possible before placing it in the bed of salt/sugar. (Too much moisture may cause the salt/sugar mixture to cake into a solid mass.)

Make the indentations in the salt/sugar mixture to hold the egg yolks using a whole egg or with the back of a spoon.

making indentations in the salt and sugar mixture

setting the egg yolks on salt and sugar bed

Make sure the yolks have adequate space in between and are completely covered with the salt/sugar mixture.

covering the egg yolks with the salt and sugar mixture

egg yolks completely covered in salt and sugar mixture

The salt/sugar mixture can be reused over and over again as long as it remains dry, loose and free of any yellow. If too much moisture gets in, however, it may solidify into an unusable mass.

NOTE: If your salt/sugar mixture has solidified making it impossible to get the cured egg yolks out, carefully chip away as much as you can and then use running water to melt the remaining salt/sugar away.