Shoyu tamago is a type of egg marinated overnight with soy sauce in Japanese style. The recipe requires enough skills to cook the eggs right such that the yolks are still slightly runny and cooked only three-quarters through. Once done, they will then be marinated with the soy sauce mixture. The first step is the more challenging one but if you pay enough attention while cooking them, the eggs will turn out just right and the rest would be chicken feet.
We eat shoyu tamago a lot here in Singapore because they are served alongside many Japanese cuisines – ramen, don, soba noodles or simply by themselves. It’s a similar concept as braised eggs in Chinese dishes, but lighter in taste, chilled, and with a lovely yolk texture that tastes so umami if I may say. Although one can never have too many eggs at a go for health reasons, it’s really very difficult to resist the second serving of this egg because it is simply irresistable!
I love to buy shoyu tamago from the 7-11 stores because they come in packets of 2 each and are cooked really well – comparable to those sold in Japanese restaurants. But seeing how these eggs can be cooked in a large batch and kept in the fridge for up to a week, I decided to try making them by myself. The colour didn’t turn out as brown as I wanted, but the taste was nice nevertheless. You should try it out too!
Ingredients:
- Water: a bowl for boiling and another sepearate bowl as iced water
- Egg: 6, at room temperature
- Water: 1 cup
- Light soy sauce: 1/2 cup
- Mirin: 1/2 cup
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
- Spring onion: 2 stalks, finely chopped
- Garlic: 2 cloves, finely chopped
- Ginger: 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Method:
- Bring water to a boil. Lower to simmering.
- Add eggs into water gently with a spoon.
- Boil for 6min, stirring them with a spoon for 2min at the start to set the yolks.
- Remove and transfer to a bowl of iced water. Cool 5-10min before deshelling in the iced water itself.
- Combine 1 cup water, light soy sauce, mirin, sugar, spring onions, garlic and ginger in a saucepan.
- Let boil, then cool down completely.
- Place boiled eggs in a container. Pour soy sauce marinade into container to submerge eggs completely.
- Leave in fridge to chill overnight (4 – 12hrs).
- Halve eggs with string / knife. Serve chilled with hot ramen or don, or simply eat them as they are!
Tricks:
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The marinade can be reused for up to 5 days in the fridge if you would like to make another batche of shoyu tamago eggs.
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To make the ramen with bacon and spinach that you see here, simply follow the recipe from Yes to Yolks’ ‘Homemade Ramen with Bacon & Soft-Boiled Eggs’.
Disclaimer:
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The eggs might still look very pale from the outside, but they would have already soaked up the marinade as long as you leave them to marinate overnight. Hence you really don’t have to worry too much about their colour and if they don’t get too brown enough.
Serving:
6 eggs (12 halved eggs)
