Name: Salted Duck Egg Yolks
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 pounds kosher salt; 9 duck eggs

Why This Recipe Works

The practice of salting eggs originated more than a thousand years ago. It was a practical method for extending the ingredient’s shelf life, and it also intensified their flavor. Today, salted eggs are enjoyed all over China, where the tradition likely originated, as well as other Asian countries that adopted the practice. Methods of salting eggs abound, from wet and dry brines to cures that incorporate different seasonings. Across Asia, salted eggs are commonly made with duck eggs, and many recipes only call for the yolk, where virtually all of an egg’s fat is concentrated. Compared to yolks from a chicken egg, duck egg yolks have an even higher fat content; when cured, they turn into golden orbs that are wonderfully savory, briny, and unctuous, with a pleasant funk. Like all curing, the method for salting egg yolks relies on osmosis: Water in the yolks travels through the yolk membrane to the surrounding cure, concentrating flavor in the process. Our recipe, which calls for six days of curing followed by a low-and-slow bake in the oven, produced a versatile texture that was firm and dense yet creamy. The cured yolks can be incorporated easily into a wide range of dishes, from grating or crumbling over soup, pastas, noodles, and grain bowls, to mashing and emulsifying into dressings and sauces.

Before You Begin

Duck egg whites tend to be thicker than chicken egg whites, so separating the yolks from the whites will require a little more patience. We recommend cracking the eggs one at a time into a bowl and then using clean, wetted hands to separate out the yolk. (The whites make for a great omelette or scramble.)

Instructions

Pulse 2 pounds kosher salt in food processor until slightly ground, about 14 pulses. (Alternatively, salt can be processed in blender on high speed until slightly ground, about 30 seconds.) Transfer 14 ounces salt to 8-inch square baking pan and shake pan to create even layer. Using whole, in-shell egg, make 9 evenly spaced ¼-inch-deep indentations in salt bed by pressing bottom of egg gently into salt.

Working with 1 egg at a time, crack 9 duck eggs, separate yolks from whites, and transfer yolks to indentations in salt bed. (Reserve whites for another use.) Carefully pour remaining salt evenly over yolks. Wrap pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until yolks are firm but have some give when pressed, 6 to 7 days.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 175 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Remove yolks from salt, brushing off excess, and rinse gently under cool running water. Pat yolks dry with paper towels and transfer to wire rack. Transfer sheet to oven and bake until exteriors of yolks are dry to touch, about 1 hour. (Cured yolks can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)