Soft-boiled Chinese Tea Eggs (溏心茶葉蛋)
Rich, buttery and creamy egg soaked in a savoury and fragrant marinade. Soft-boiled Chinese tea eggs are the perfect snack to have.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 8 eggs
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp black tea + 1 tbsp oolong tea (or use 2 black tea bags)
- 2.5 cups water
Instructions
- 1
Add all the marinade ingredients into a pot. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 2
Remove pot from heat and let the marinade cool down completely.
- 3
Using a needle, poke one hole in the bottom of all the eggs. This ensures the eggs do not crack when boiling them and results in a smoother and rounder shape.
- 4
To boil the eggs, gently place eggs into a pot of boiling water and boil for 5-6 mins. While waiting, prepare an ice bath to cool the eggs.
- 5
Once done, immediately place the boiled eggs into the ice bath for a few mins. Then, gently crack the eggs using the back of a spoon. This ensures the marinade seeps into the egg and creates the marbling pattern.
- 6
Transfer eggs to the marinade and refrigerate overnight. The marinated eggs can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days. The longer it marinates, the stronger the flavour. Enjoy!