The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. Make as few or as many as you like, adjusting the salt/sugar ratio. If you like a less savory yolk, use equal amounts of salt and sugar

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 8×8” or other small ceramic or glass pan
• 1-3/4 cups Kosher, sea or Himalayan pink salt, fine grind
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

• Mix salt and sugar together.

1. Place half the salt/sugar mixture in an even layer in the pan.
2. Use a whole egg to make 4 indentations in the salt/sugar mixture
3. Separate yolks from whites. Freeze whites for later use.
4. Gently lay yolks in the indentations in the pan.
5. Gently pack remaining salt/sugar mixture on top, making sure to cover each yolk completely.
6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
7. Place in refrigerator for 4-7 days. This starts the curing process, removing moisture from the yolks.
8. Gently remove yolks from curing mixture, brush as much salt/sugar mixture off of each as possible, and carefully rinse under cool water to remove all curing mixture. Yolks will be semi-firm, bright in color and translucent. They will feel smooth in your hand when all salt is removed.
9. Pat dry.
10. Finish curing by drying completely in dehydrator or in oven.

To dry in dehydrator:

1. Spray plastic mat and place on dehydrator shelf.
2. Put yolks on mat, spacing them an inch or so apart so air can circulate.
3. Turn temperature to 140 degrees and dry until opaque, and texture is like a wedge of Parmesan cheese, about 1-1/2 hours. You should be able to cut through the cooled yolk with a knife or grate it easily.
4. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 months.

To dry in oven:

1. Follow instructions above for removing all salt.
2. Preheat oven to 150. (If your oven only goes down to 170/175, prop it partially open with a wooden spoon).
3. Spray a wire rack and place on a baking pan.
4. Dry until opaque and texture is like a Parmesan cheese, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. You should be able to cut through the cooled yolk with a knife or grate it easily.
5. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 months.

Egg facts: duck eggs vs. chicken eggs 

You can swap duck eggs for chicken eggs in salted egg yolks. Duck eggs, due to their size, take longer to cure

How to use salted egg yolks

Salted egg yolks give a protein boost to many foods.

• Use instead of grated cheese on crostini appetizers.
• Add to herbed butters. Salted egg yolks give the butter a bright golden color and a sharper flavor.
• Grate over pastas, curries and soups.
• Add zing to your mixed green salad by topping with a shower of grated salted egg yolk

History of salted egg yolks

The ancient Chinese, in their salting food preservationtechniques, included egg yolks cured in salt for long-term storage and use. Remember, there was no refrigeration at the time

Today, salted egg yolks are a traditional pantry ingredient in Chinese and Malaysian cuisines. They hit mainstream here in the USA several years ago, when adventurous and frugal chefs discovered this ancient technique to flavor their special dishes.

Salted egg yolks = Umami!

My foodie friends describe the flavor of salted egg yolks as a “umami” taste. Umami is a savory kind of taste and is one of the tenets of the 5 basic tastes, which include sour, sweet, bitter and salty. But the only thing you really need to know is that the flavor is darn good. A nice swap for Parmesan as a garnish

Are salted egg yolks too salty?

Surprisingly, salted egg yolks are more eggy and savory tasting to my palate. Yes, the salt flavor comes through, but not too aggressively.

Have you made salted egg yolks? Let us know!