Chinese Tea Egg

I made a big batch of Chinese tea eggs this weekend because I had way too many eggs in the fridge (always seems to happen after a trip to Costco...). Tea eggs are one of my favorite snacks, a favorite afterschool treat growing up, but they're also good for breakfast, over plain steamed rice (with some of the tea brew on top) or in ramen for lunch. Don't worry, not all on the same day! Damn cholesterol! The best part is the longer they sit in the soy sauce tea brew, the more flavorful they become. I think they taste best after 2 days in the fridge. Oh did I mention, they're really cool looking too?

The tea you use doesn't have to be the best quality, just use black tea and not green. Sometimes when I'm lazy, I just peel the whole egg after hardboiling the first time instead of cracking it. You don't get the pretty design but it's easier to eat later. *nomnomnom* I'm thinking about braising some chicken with my leftover tea brew. Tea braised chicken?

Cha Ye Dan/Chinese Tea Leaf Eggs
6 - 8 large eggs
1/4 C soy sauce
2 Tbsp black tea leaves or 2 black tea bags
1 star anise
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Roughly 2 C water

Put the eggs in a saucepan that can fit the eggs snugly and cover with water. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 7 minutes. Drain the eggs and rinse them with cold water until they have cooled off enough to handle. Use the back of a spoon gently tap the shell all over or just hit them against the countertop.

Return the eggs to the saucepan, add the soy sauce, tea leaves or tea bags, star anise, salt, and enough water to cover. You'll want to use a saucepan that can fit the number of eggs you're cooking perfectly. You don't want to use a saucepan that's too big otherwise, you'll need a lot of water to cover the eggs and it will dilute the tea brew. Simmer them in the tea soy sauce brew for 2 - 3 hours. You can even cook them for a few hours in a slow cooker. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the eggs over, add more water if necessary.

After cooking, store the eggs in the brew at least overnight so the flavors can permeate the eggs completely. I like to cut them in half and spoon a bit of the soy sauce brew onto the yolk before eating, it makes the yolk creamy and more flavorful.

Tomatoes and Eggs Stir Fry: Fan Qie Chao Dan

I didn't have much of an appetite when I was very young and always had trouble eating. In one of my earliest memories, I was sitting on my uncle’s shoulders on the way home from kindergarten and I proudly told him of my accomplishment that day, that I had finished every last bit of my lunch. Of course my uncle asked me what the school served that day and I enthusiastically told him, “fan qie chao dan (tomatoes and eggs)!” Now, sixteen years later, some things have changed; now I always have quite the appetite but this dish still remains one of my favorites.

For the 8th and final dish of this impromptu Chinese Cooking 100 1/2 series I originally planned to make a dessert but instead, I want to introduce everyone to this relatively unknown but very traditional Chinese dish. You’ll rarely see this dish on the menu at restaurants but scrambled eggs and tomatoes is classic Chinese home cooking and comfort food. Whenever I’m sick and don't feel like eating, this is the dish I make for myself: 1 tomato, 2 eggs, and a bowl of rice. Not only does it bring back fond memories of my childhood but tomatoes and eggs are nutrient powerhouses and the meal provides me with vitamins, proteins, carbs, and most importantly, comfort, everything I need to feel better.

Notes:
- If you’re using smaller roma tomatoes use 1 egg for 1 tomato but if you’re using medium sized tomatoes, use 3 eggs for every 2 tomatoes. If you have really big honking tomatoes, use 2 eggs for 1 tomato.
- I would not recommend using beefsteak tomatoes because they are just too tasteless and mealy and will make the dish too watery. Even though it’s not prime tomato season, I was able to find some pretty decent organic tomatoes on the vine for this dish.

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: Fan Qie Chao Dan

4 tomatoes (see note about tomato to egg ratio)
6 eggs
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt
White pepper
Vegtable oil

Cut the tomatoes into 1 inch chunks and set them in a colander to drain.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet or wok over high heat. Shake the colander or hit it against the side of the sink to get rid of any excess liquid. Once the pan is very hot and the oil is shimmering, add the thinly sliced green onion and the tomatoes. You should hear a loud sizzle. Season with salt and white pepper, and cook them very briefly, only about 30 seconds. You want the tomatoes to retain their shape, you don’t want tomato sauce. Don’t stir them too violently or you’ll break them up. After about 30 seconds in the pan, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.

Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok or skillet again and heat over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beaten eggs. Some liquid should have accumulated in the bowl of the stir fried tomatoes so add that liquid to the eggs. Season the eggs with a little salt. Quickly scramble the eggs until it is almost cooked but still runny, then add the tomatoes and stir fry until the eggs are cooked. Serve with rice.

Truffled Scrambled Eggs

This is the first dish in which I used my new white truffle oil. As much as I love pure and unadulterated scrambled eggs (Steven not so much), adding a few drops of truffle oil transforms a simple and homey to a complex and luxurious dish. Steven couldn't stop raving about these eggs, when normally he doesn't care for scrambled eggs.

Truffle Scrambled Eggs
3 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
salt and pepper (about 1/8 tsp salt and 1 grind of pepper)
2 tsp butter
a few drops of white truffle oil (about 1/4 tsp)

Beat eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Do not overbeat; stop when all the yolk is incorporated.

Heat butter in a 8 in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. It is key to use an appropriately sized pan for the number of eggs you're cooking. Pour in eggs before foaming has subsided.

Push and fold the eggs from the outer rim into a mound in the center. Do not swirl or break up the egg as it cooks. Keep the eggs constantly moving. Cook until eggs are no longer runny but still wet and shiny (almost underdone), only about 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from heat, add truffle oil, fold a few more times to incorporate into the egg. Eggs will continue to cook off heat so serve immediately.

Serves 2.

The recipe can be doubled to serve four. The eggs will need to be cooked in a larger skillet 10 in or 12 in and for a longer amount of time about 1 - 1 1/2 min.
Be careful not to overbeat or overcook scrambled eggs, otherwise they will be tough.

Links:
Check out these gorgeous scrambled eggs by Bea of La Tartine Gourmande

I'm submitting this for Weekend Breakfast Blogging #9. Thanks to Sig for hosting and letting me know about the event!

Poached Egg Trick

I had the most beautiful poached duck egg at Campagne. The yolk was completely encapsulated in a delicate white orb. This method for poaching eggs produces a morespherical egg rather than a flat poached egg.

What you'll need is a pot of simmering water, an egg, a small cup or bowl, and microwavable plastic wrap.

Bring water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Use a small bowl or cup and push a piece of plastic wrap into the cup.

Crack an egg into the plastic wrap and tie the top with a small strip of plastic wrap or a piece of twine.

Gently lower the egg into simmering water.

Poach in simmering water uncovered: 3 minutes for runny yolks, 4 minutes for slightly firm runny yolks.

Use a fork or tongs to fish out the egg and gently slide the egg out of the plastic wrap.

I was a little hesitant about using the plastic wrap but it did not melt so it seems fine to me. One way to minimize the time the egg spends in plastic wrap is once the white has solidified enough, you can cut the plastic wrap and slip the egg out into the water but I haven't tried this. If you have health concerns, there are other ways to poach an egg.

Elise has another poached egg trick on her blog Simply Recipes.