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Cured Egg Yolks

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Photo by Danny Kim

Have yolks left from a recipe? Get curing. Don't want to wait? Cure the yolks and freeze the whites in ice cube trays.

Ideas for Cured Egg Yolks:

1. Grate on top of hot pasta the way you would hard cheese.

2. Shave over white bean crostini for a hit of salt and color.

3. Dissolve thin shavings in a brothy soup to add body.

4. Crumble over simply cooked veggies like steamed bok choy or asparagus.

5. Double up and use to season a crispy fried egg. Super meta.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups kosher salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk 1 3/4 cups kosher salt and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a medium bowl to combine. Evenly spread out half of salt mixture in an 8x8" glass baking dish. Using the back of a tablespoon, create 4 depressions in salt mixture, spacing evenly. Carefully place a large egg yolk (4 total) in each depression. Gently sprinkle remaining salt mixture over yolks and tightly wrap dish with plastic. Chill 4 days.

    Step 2

    Preheat oven to 150°F. Brush salt mixture off each yolk, then carefully rinse under cold water to remove any remaining salt (yolks will be semi-firm, bright, and translucent). Gently pat dry with paper towels.

    Step 3

    Generously coat a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick vegetable oil spray; place yolks on rack. Dry out in oven until opaque and texture is like a firm Gruyère cheese, 1 1/2–2 hours. Let cool. (Alternatively, if your oven doesn't go that low, you can dry out eggs in an unheated oven for 2 days.)

  2. Do ahead

    Step 4

    Yolks can be cured 1 month ahead. Place in an airtight container and chill.

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