Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Steps

1. Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a marination time of 8 hours or overnight. Now, gather all the ingredients.

2. Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup sake, and 1 tsp sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the sugar completely. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Add 4 cups (1L) water to a saucepan. Make sure there's enough water to cover the eggs by 1 inch (2.5 cm) once added. Bring the water to a full boil.Remove 4 large eggs (50 g w/o shell) from the fridge. Gently lower one egg at a time into the boiling water with a ladle or strainer. When you add the first egg, set a timer for 7 minutes.Nami's Tip: If you prefer runny yolks, cook for 6–6½ minutes. For custard-like yolks, cook for 8–9 minutes.

4. Keep the water simmering gently, not bubbling vigorously. Don't let the eggs bounce around. Nami's Tip: Gently rotate the eggs with chopsticks during the first 3 minutes if you want to keep the yolks centered.

5. After 7 minutes, promptly remove the eggs. Submerge them in a bowl of iced water for 15 minutes until cooled completely.

6. Gently crack the eggshell at the wide bottom end. Start peeling it vertically toward the pointy top. Dip the egg in the iced water a few times to help with peeling.Nami's Tip: Once you peel one section vertically, the rest of the shell comes off easily.

7. Place the peeled eggs in a plastic bag. Add the cooled marinade. Nami's Tip: Why do I recommend a plastic bag instead of a container? It requires less marinade to submerge the eggs. Prepare no more than what you need, since we can only use this marinade once for food safety.

8. Remove the air from the bag. Seal the bag right above the eggs with a clip or rubber band to keep them completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Rotate the eggs occasionally, if you like.Nami's Tip: Marinate the eggs no longer than 12–24 hours or they will get too salty.

9. Remove the eggs from the marinade. Cleanly cut them in half lengthwise with a fishing line or wire cheese slicer. If you want to warm them, first soak the bag in warm water to bring up the temperature.Enjoy Ramen Eggs in bento, as a easy tonkotsu ramen topping, or as a snack sliced in half and sprinkled with furikake (rice seasonings) and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice).

10. Remove from the marinade and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3–4 days if your eggs are soft-boiled and within a week if hard-boiled. Do not freeze, as their texture will change. For food safety reasons, I do not recommend reusing this marinade with new boiled eggs. You can cook this marinade and repurpose it as a seasoning sauce for stir-fries or simmered dishes, but use it soon.