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Cured Egg Yolks

While I have a subscription to a few cooking magazines, I rarely read them. But, every once in a while, I'll thumb through one while I'm eating lunch at work. 

And one day, a few years ago, I saw salt-cured egg yolks. They caught my eye because I thought they might be a good substitute for bottarga, cured fish roe. I finally got around to making them. I did a small batch because I wasn't sure how it would work...or if we would like them. The verdict: this works well and it's an intriguing addition to dishes.


Ingredients 
  • 1/3 pound kosher salt
  • 1/3 pound organic granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs


Procedure
Blend the salt and sugar together in a large bowl and transfer half of the mixture to a square dish and shake gently to settle into an even layer.


Using whole, in-shell eggs, make 4 evenly spaced indentations in the bed by pressing bottom of egg gently into mixture.

Crack eggs, separate yolks from whites, and gently place yolks to indentations in bed. Carefully pour remaining salt mixture evenly over yolks. Wrap dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until yolks are firm and dry, approximately 6 to 7 days.


Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Remove yolks from salt-sugar mixture. Brushing off excess grains and place on a baking sheet. Bake until exteriors of yolks are dry to touch, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool and keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Serving Ideas
Grate or thinly slice yolks and sprinkle on your favorite dishes. Swap it for parmesan on pasta and risotto. Use it as a seasoning on roasted vegetables and avocado toast. Get creative! Can't wait to share what I've been using this on. Stay tuned.

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