A Unusual Snack (Tea Eggs)

You know those marble eggs you see at craft fairs and never buy, because you know that one day the kids will be fighting and they will grab it off the knick-knack shelf and toss it through a window?  You can make the culinary version of marbled eggs by following a simple, although extended method of preparation.  Tea eggs are good things to have hanging around the fridge to snack on.  They can also be included whole into many Chinese style stews.  tea eggs are beautiful to look at and have a rich, vibrant and complex flavor.

This recipe is adapted from Barbara Tropp’s The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking, Hearst, 1982.  It is an essential resource, with easily understood recipes.  A revised paperback version is available on Amazon for $3.57.  Tropp argues that this recipe is best made with older eggs, ones that have been in the fridge for a week.  They will peel easier and since this recipe is all about the smooth, marbled appearance of peeled eggs, go with the older ones.  Use fresh, aromatic tea and make them ahead, allowing the eggs to marinate in the broth for an extended period of about 18 hours.

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Tea Eggs

8 large eggs

2 tbs. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

2 whole star anise, broken

2 tbs. fresh, whole black tea leaves

1 cinnamon stick

2 2-inch strips of orange peel, remove white pith

Hard cook the eggs by putting the eggs in a large soup pot and covering them with cold water.  Add 1/2 tbs. salt and bring them to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.  Drain then cool under cold running water.  When the eggs have cooled, using the back of a large serving spoon, tap the eggs while turning, creating a spider web network of cracks in the shell. 

Place the eggs in a slightly smaller pot, one that gives them a little room, but where they fit snugly.  Cover the eggs with about 3 cups cold water.  There should be 1 1/2 inches of water over their top.  Add the seasonings and quickly bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer, stir to make sure that the seasonings are submerged and cover the pot, simmer for 3 hours.  Occasionally top off the liquid if has boiled away and swirl it to make sure that the seasonings stay in solution.

After boiling, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to steep for at least 8 hours at room temperature or up to 18 hours.  Discard the liquid.  Refrigerate the eggs tightly covered.  They will keep for at least 4 days in the refrigerator.

The eggs should be peeled before serving, either cold or at room temperature.