Salt-cured egg yolks are the best thing since grated parmesan. Making them is very simple: Cure, wait, dry, and enjoy. Salt curing typically relies on the simplest, most efficient, method of curing by using a mix of salt and sugar. If you’ve never cured anything in your life, this recipe is a good place to start. It’s really easy, it only takes time and patients and once you’ve made the cured yolks, you are in for an über rich umami experience.
Pretty amazing stuff!
Salt cured egg yolks transform the yolks into a consistency similar to parmesan cheese. I get the comparison, they look like parmesan however I don’t think they taste like parmesan. Salt cured egg yolks are full of interesting complex flavors, with that sweet punchy saltiness and they are incredibly versatile. Slice, shave or crumble cured egg yolks over a sandwich, pasta, rice, salads, vegetables, and soups.
The process is easy
You take egg yolks and pack them in a salt and sugar mixture and cure them in the refrigerator for 7 days. As simple as it gets. I add sugar to my salt cure which balances out the salt and also performs some preservative function of its own Once they are cured, you’ll find the texture has changed significantly. The eggs lose about 50 percent of their weight due to water that’s removed during the curing process. You will notice they are firm and a little bit hard and they will have a delicious bright yellow cured yolk.
Why cure egg yolks and are they safe to eat?
Salt curing is a way of preserving food and it’s been around for hundreds of years. I made an angel food cake and had leftover egg yolks. I didn’t want to toss the egg yolks, so the next logical step was to cure them. So, the next time you use egg whites, don’t toss the egg yolks – cure them. There is a great article from SpruceEats that talks about how salt works as a preservative and food spoilage. Basically, salt curing it’s a Salt curing is safe. Salt inhibits the growth of spoilage causing micro-organisms by drawing water out of microbial cells. The curing transforms the egg yolks into something dense and bright yellow and concentrated umami flavor.
How much salt-cured Egg Yolk is too much
I love salt-cured egg yolks. Salted Egg Yolks like everything else eaten in moderation is not bad for you, however, the emphasis is on moderation. A diet containing high amounts of food preserved by salting and pickling should be eaten in moderation. One cured egg yolk has about 600 mg of sodium so you are eating with one cured egg yolk about one-third of the recommended daily sodium intake of 2000 mg.
What to do with them?
When lunch is a simple sandwich or salad or dinner is cold meat and salad, a little something like a shaved cured egg yolk will add another layer of goodness and flavor. Salt cured egg yolks can be thinly sliced or grated. Just like aged hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Manchego, you can grate the cured yolks over soups, salads, pasta, and meats quickly adding seasoning and umami to your dish. Serve with charred or roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts. The Fat Ice Cream bar in Singapore serves a waffle ice cream cone with salt-cured egg yolk. Add shaved cured egg yolk to your German Potato salad or add some amazing umami with grated salt-cured egg yolk to a simple Alfredo sauce. The options are endless.
Salt Cured Egg Yolks
Taste
Salt curing makes food texturally denser and more concentrated in flavor.
Salt cured eggs have a savory, smooth taste – full of richness and umami.
Process
Cure, wait, rinse, dry, and enjoy!
it is as simple as it gets!
Verdict
Salt cured egg yolks not only have great flavor,
but as a bonus, they are also a great conversation piece during dinner.
So, the next time you use egg whites, don’t toss the egg yolks
How much salt-cured Egg Yolk is too much
Salted Egg Yolks like everything else eaten in moderation are not bad for you,
however, the emphasis is on moderation
Diets containing high amounts of food preserved by salting and pickling,
should be eaten in moderation.
Salt Cured Egg Yolks
Ingredients
- 12 each egg yolks use yolks from organic pasteurized eggs
- 16 ounce kosher salt
- 20 ounce sugar
Instructions
Mix the salt and the sugar
- Mix salt and sugar in a bowl. Pour half of the mixture into a 1/3 sheet pan or ceramic baking dish. Using the back of a tablespoon, create 12 impressions in the salt mixture, spacing evenly.16 ounce kosher salt, 20 ounce sugar
Cure the egg yolks
- Separate egg yolk and egg whites. Gently place a yolk in each of the impressions. Now gently cover them with the remaining salt and sugar mixture so they are completely covered - buried in the mixture.12 each egg yolks
- Keep the yolks buried in the salt mixture for a week in the refrigerator. Take them out -- the yolks will be firm, carefully brush off the salt. You might need to remove the salt with a damp paper towel. After you have removed the excess salt, place on a cookie sheet. To dry them out a little bit more, place them in the oven at 150 degrees for approximately 1½–2 hours. Let cool.
- Store the yolks in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate