Five Spice Eggs
I love boiled eggs. Specifically, I love a good 6-minute egg with their mostly-set-but-still-runny-in-the-center yolks. The most famous 7-minute egg is Momofuku’s Japanese inspired ramen eggs. They’re soaked in a simple soy and vinegar sauce for 6 hours then topped off with flaky salt. They’re quite good, but personally I prefer the flavor of the lesser-known Chinese style tea eggs.
Chinese tea eggs are also soaked in a soy-based marinade, but it’s enhanced by spices like cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, star anise and, you guessed it, tea bags — black tea to be specific.
One other key difference: ramen eggs are soaked after the eggs shells are peeled — tea eggs are soaked in the marinade with cracked, but unpeeled shells. The cracked shells create a semipermeable barrier where the marinade only comes into contact with the egg along the cracks. As such, ramen eggs only need 2-6 hours while tea eggs are best soaked for 24-48 hours.
What I love most about this recipe is you get all the flavor of the tea eggs without the long wait. And substituting five spice powder for the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and star anise streamlines and reduces the time it takes to make the marinade! Finally, the crispy salty rounds of Chinese sausage and fresh slices scallions add layers of flavor and texture I can’t get enough of.
The Recipe
Makes 5 eggs, 10 halves (🔥Double Time)
Ingredients
5 large eggs
¾ teaspoon five spice powder (🔥Spice Girls)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (🔥Salt Bomb)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or 1½ teaspoons shaoxing wine
1 bag black tea (🔥High Tea)
1 Chinese sausage, thinly sliced into rounds (optional)
1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
Flaky finishing salt (optional)
You will also need:
A thumbtack (optional)
A medium bowl of ice water
Instructions
Boil the eggs
Use a thumbtack to poke a hole in the bottom — fat side — of each egg. Technically this is optional but it helps ease peeling!
Place the eggs in a small or medium sized saucepan, then fill with cold water until the eggs are just submerged.
Turn the heat on high, then bring the water up to a boil. Once boiling, immediately turn the heat off and set a timer:
6 minutes for runny centers
7 minutes for mostly set
10 minutes for hard center
When the time is up, drain and transfer the eggs to the ice bath.
Make the marinade and soak the eggs
In a small saucepan, combine the water, five spice powder, pepper flakes, sugar, soy, and vinegar (or shaoxing wine). Bring everything to a boil, then add the tea bag and turn off the heat. Steep the tea for 5 minutes, then remove from the marinade, squeezing out as much liquid as possible from the bag. Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature (🎩 Ice Bath).
Carefully peel the eggs, then place them in a small ziplock bag. Pour the marinade into the bag, then press out the air before sealing it shut.
Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days (🎩Flavor Boost).
Fry the sausage
When you’re ready to serve, remove the eggs from the liquid, then cut them in half lengthwise.
Place the sausage slices in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, then fry them on one side until brown and crispy, 3-5 minutes.
Garnish
Garnish each egg with a slice or two of fried sausage, a sprinkle of scallions, and a small pinch of finishing salt.
Enjoy!
Hot Tips 🔥
DOUBLE TIME — This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled for an easy make-ahead appetizer.
SPICE GIRLS — Don’t have 5-spice powder? You can swap in one cinnamon stick, one star anise, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, ½ teaspoon fennel, and 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns. You will also need to increase the water to ⅔ cup and simmer for at least 10 minutes.
SALT BOMB — Given how long these eggs will marinade, it’s best to use low sodium soy sauce. However, if you use regular, just be sure to marinade for no longer than 3 hours or risk the eggs being salt bombs!
HIGH TEA — Use an unflavored black tea like Lipton black tea or English Breakfast. Do not use Earl Grey!
Tricks 🎩
ICE BATH — To rapidly cool the marinade, submerge the bottom of the pot in the bowl of ice water.
FLAVOR BOOST — The eggs will absorb more flavor the longer they marinade. Personally I love these at 24 hours, but for milder pallets start with 2.