Black tea, star anise, cinnamon bark and bay scent these fully cooked eggs. Gently crack the shells and marinate in the fridge overnight for delicate brown marbling, ready for breakfast or a savoury snack.
Times are approximate. Making the marinade, boiling the eggs and cooling can partly overlap, followed by 12–24 hours of refrigerated marinating. Plan to start the day before serving.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Briefly rinse the star anise, cinnamon and bay, checking for loose bark fragments. Put in a small saucepan with the tea, ginger, soy sauces, sugar and 700 ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain out all tea leaves and hard spices into a clean shallow container. Stand the container in ice water to speed cooling without letting the ice water enter the marinade, then refrigerate promptly. Do not leave a large pot on the counter for hours.
Bring enough water to cover the eggs to the boil in another pan. Lower them gently with a spoon and cook for about 11–12 minutes once a gentle boil returns. Both white and yolk should be fully set. Timing varies with egg size, starting temperature and pan; if unsure, remove a larger egg, cool briefly and peel to check. If the centre is not set, continue cooking the remaining eggs until hard-boiled.
Immediately put the cooked eggs in clean ice water for about 10–15 minutes until cool. Tap with the back of a clean spoon to make a network of fine cracks while keeping most shell in place; do not crush the white. If you peeled one egg to check doneness, marinate it separately in a clean small container under the same refrigeration and storage limits.
Put the cooled eggs in a narrow food-safe container and add the cooled, strained marinade to cover. If 700 ml does not cover them, use a better-fitting container rather than diluting heavily with raw water. Cover and refrigerate the eggs and marinade at 5°C or below within 2 hours of cooking. Marinate for 12–24 hours, turning once with a clean spoon if needed. Never leave them on the counter overnight. The 48-hour total storage limit includes marinating. Peel only the portions needed and eat cold, or peel and halve the portions needed and warm gently in a little marinade on the hob until hot throughout; do not microwave whole boiled eggs. Do not reuse the marinade for a fresh batch.
Contains egg and soya, and usually wheat in the soy sauces; check their labels. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Cool the eggs and strained marinade promptly, then cover and refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours of cooking, including the 12–24 hours of refrigerated marinating. Take out only what you need. For warm servings, peel and halve the eggs and heat on the hob as described in the method; reheat only once. Do not reuse the marinade for another batch.
