Salted duck eggs, a comfort food in some Asian cultures, add an earthy flavor Salted Duck Eggs
About six years ago, on a family visit to Edmonton, Alberta, my brother had a cheeky smile when he brought out a snack from his favorite Asian store. It was only a package of potato chips, but my sisters and I went wide-eyed when we took a closer look: they were salted egg yolk flavor! A feeding frenzy ensued, with nary a crisp left.
I realized that the Western world had unearthed our “ancient” Chinese ingredient.
As a child in Singapore, I often had a breakfast of porridge with braised meats and vegetables with a side of sliced salted duck eggs. The salted duck egg, whole or just the yolk, also featured in other family favorites: in a steamed egg and ground pork dish; inside a dumpling; or in a coveted red bean or lotus seed filled seasonal “Moon Cake.”
I recall two kinds of preserved eggs (both brined duck eggs) that were popular in our household: the pidan ( peidan in Cantonese) or “centurion” egg that had a translucent black gelatinous egg white and a pungent, ash-colored yolk; and the xian dan ( hamdan in Cantonese) or salted egg. The pidan was used mostly in making a congee with smoked dried oysters and salt pork, while the salted egg was used in everything savory to sweet.
As strange as they may seem, these were comfort foods to me.
You ask, why even go there with a salted egg, and a duck egg at that? It’s versatile —used in its liquid or solid form — just a little can go a long way to flavor pasta, or add another dimension to a sauce; give a “cheesy” (and umami) taste to the topping of everyday favorites like salad or avocado toast, or give a lift to an omelet. The runny yolk adds unctuousness to a cream sauce.
The salted duck egg has seen a renaissance of sorts in Asian countries from Korea to Singapore. In recent years, chefs in the occidental world have also discovered its umami properties and adapted it to their own upscale and adventurous cuisine. I’ve encountered a few restaurants that use the shaved salted yolk in place of Parmesan cheese to grace a salad or a crumble to accent an appetizer or entree; none locally have thus far engaged it as the main feature of their dishes.
However, I recently came across an impressive list of ideas for using the salted egg, including as a salted egg yolk sauce with deep fried crabs deep fried chicken, waffles, fries and eggs benedict.
I’ve found multiple forms of salted egg yolk on Amazon — already made into a sauce, whole, egg yolks only, powdered, and so on. I purchased my recent batch of uncooked preserved yolks at Mo’s Market at 2404 W Clybourn St, You could make your own, but fresh duck eggs are less easy to come by so you can use regular chicken eggs, a whole bunch of salt and a few weeks of patience. I’d rather focus on the application.
Counter Culture zeroes in on a single food or ingredient (or sometimes, technique) to help readers broaden their horizons in the kitchen.
Properties: These cured duck eggs are rich in proteins, minerals, lipids and unsaturated fatty acids. A whole egg has 18 different kinds of amino acids and has 14% protein, 16.6% fat, 4.1% carbohydrate, and 7.5% ash, with water for the remainder.
Uses: Traditionally in China and then southeast Asian countries they were consumed with porridge, used as the centerpiece of dessert pastries called “moon cakes” and dumplings. However, they have been the darling of Asian millennials seeking new ways to infuse this umami flavor into almost everything from French toast to fish skins.
Flavors: Salty, umami, with “creamy” yolks.
Where to buy them: Asian grocers sell whole preserved eggs and just the refrigerated yolks in plastic pouches.
Salty Egg Creamy Fried Chicken
(Makes 4 servings)
6 chicken thighs, skinned, boned and diced into bite size
2 (regular) egg whites, whisked
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brandy
1⁄2 cup corn flour
Oil for deep frying
For sauce:
4 salted duck egg yolks
3 tablespoons butter
⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream 1
2-3 sprigs of Thai or Italian basil
2 Serrano chile peppers, seeded and diced
Lemon wedges, optional
To prepare chicken, whisk egg whites till frothy. Add soy sauce and brandy, and blend in the corn flour. Add chicken and let it sit for about 15-30 minutes in the batter. Use enough frying oil to fill a medium saucepan up to two inches and heat on medium high. Fry about a dozen battered pieces of chicken at a time until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all chicken has been cooked. Reserve.
To make the sauce, roughly chop up the salted egg yolks and blend them finely in a small food processor (or mince them by hand). In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt and blend the butter with the yolks, chili peppers, basil and cream. Toss the chicken in the sauce and serve warm. Serve with a spritz of lemon juice if desired.
This can be served family style with rice or noodles.