Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Instructions

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   Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a marination time of 8 hours or overnight. Now, gather all the ingredients.

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   Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup sake, and 1 tsp sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the sugar completely. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Set aside to cool completely.

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   Add 4 cups (1L) water to a saucepan. Make sure there's enough water to cover the eggs by 1 inch (

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   5 cm) once added. Bring the water to a full boil.Remove 4 large eggs (50 g w/o shell) from the fridge. Gently lower one egg at a time into the boiling water with a ladle or strainer. When you add the first egg, set a timer for 7 minutes.Nami's Tip: If you prefer runny yolks, cook for 6–6½ minutes. For custard-like yolks, cook for 8–9 minutes.

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   Keep the water simmering gently, not bubbling vigorously. Don't let the eggs bounce around. Nami's Tip: Gently rotate the eggs with chopsticks during the first 3 minutes if you want to keep the yolks centered.

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   After 7 minutes, promptly remove the eggs. Submerge them in a bowl of iced water for 15 minutes until cooled completely.

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   Gently crack the eggshell at the wide bottom end. Start peeling it vertically toward the pointy top. Dip the egg in the iced water a few times to help with peeling.Nami's Tip: Once you peel one section vertically, the rest of the shell comes off easily.

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   Place the peeled eggs in a plastic bag. Add the cooled marinade. Nami's Tip: Why do I recommend a plastic bag instead of a container? It requires less marinade to submerge the eggs. Prepare no more than what you need, since we can only use this marinade once for food safety.

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   Remove the air from the bag. Seal the bag right above the eggs with a clip or rubber band to keep them completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Rotate the eggs occasionally, if you like.Nami's Tip: Marinate the eggs no longer than 12–24 hours or they will get too salty.

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    Remove the eggs from the marinade. Cleanly cut them in half lengthwise with a fishing line or wire cheese slicer. If you want to warm them, first soak the bag in warm water to bring up the temperature.Enjoy Ramen Eggs in bento, as a easy tonkotsu ramen topping, or as a snack sliced in half and sprinkled with furikake (rice seasonings) and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice).

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    Remove from the marinade and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3–4 days if your eggs are soft-boiled and within a week if hard-boiled. Do not freeze, as their texture will change. For food safety reasons, I do not recommend reusing this marinade with new boiled eggs. You can cook this marinade and repurpose it as a seasoning sauce for stir-fries or simmered dishes, but use it soon.