Onsen Tamago (Japanese Hot Spring Eggs)
Onsen Tamago is a boiled egg like no other! This unique cooking style produces beautifully set whites and silky semi-set yolks served in a light dashi-based sauce, perfect as part of a Japanese-inspired breakfast.
- Prep time
- 8 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 eggs (chilled & straight from the fridge)
- 1500 ml water
- 300 ml cold water (chilled in the fridge)
- ice cold water
- 2 tbsp dashi stock (liquid not powder)
- ½ tbsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- 1
Measure out 300 ml cold water and place it in the refrigerator. It should be fully chilled before you start (about 10°C/50°F). Once chilled, add 1500 ml water to a pot and bring to a rolling boil. (Tip: Heating with a lid will speed up the process.)
- 2
Once the water is thoroughly boiling, turn off heat and add the cold water from the fridge.
- 3
Immediately add 4 eggs straight from the fridge. At this point the water should be about 80 °C (176 °F).
- 4
Place a lid on top and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- 5
Remove the eggs and rest in a bowl at room temperature for exactly 3 minutes (5 minutes in winter). Use a timer to ensure accuracy. While you wait, prepare a bowl of ice cold water.
- 6
Once rested at room temperature, pour ice-cold water into the bowl to halt the cooking process and stop them from cooking any further. Rest for 5-10 minutes, this will help them come out cleanly before serving.
- 7
Combine 2 tbsp dashi stock, ½ tbsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp water in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered for 1 minute at 600W. The sauce can be served warm or cooled depending on preference
- 8
Crack the egg into a serving bowl and add about 1 tbsp of sauce for each serving. Enjoy!