Salted Duck Eggs is a traditional East Timorese recipe for a classic method of preserving duck eggs in alcohol and brine and which are boiled before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic East Timorese version of: Salted Duck Eggs.
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This is a traditional Chinese recipe, but it has entered East Timor cuisine as an essential ingredient.
Ingredients:
12 duck eggs
1l (about) water
70g (about 4 tbsp) sea salt
55-60% proof grain alcohol; can substitute over-proof whisky, gin or vodka)
Equipment: A large food grade plastic or glass container with a tightly sealable lid
Method:
Wash and scrub the egg shells thoroughly then place in the container where they'll be brined and pour over enough water to submerge them (this is to measure the level of water needed).
Carefully remove the eggs from the water, and let them warm for 3-4 hours in the early morning sun; reduce the sunbathing time to 1-2 hours if the temperature is higher than 18C, but it should still be early morning sun. Turn the eggs every hour. The late morning hot sun may result in cracked eggs during the salting process.
Meanwhile, transfer the water reserved in the container to a clean pot (I needed about 1l of water then add any aromatics you may be using (eg garlic, chillies, ginger, herbs) to the liquid. Stir in the 70g salt and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
In the meantime, take the container, and let it dry out completely in the sun.
Pour 120ml of high proof grain alcohol into a large bowl, carefully take the eggs, and turn them over in the alcohol. Note that the volume of alcohol isn’t enough to submerge them, so you’ll have to roll them around every 10 minutes so they are soaking at all times. Soak the eggs in the baijiu for 1 hour.
Once the salt water has completely cooled and your container is dry, add the eggs back to the glass container one by one. Pour in the baijiu used to soak the eggs along with the cooled salt water. Arrange the eggs with a clean utensil to make sure they are all completely submerged.
Cover tightly so that the container is thoroughly sealed, and store in a cool, dry place for 30 to 60 days so they're fully brined. As egg sizes vary, so brining time will vary as well. You can cook one after 30 days to see if it’s done. Try again in 10-15 days if it's not quite there!
To cook the duck eggs for your morning congee and other uses, submerge the salted duck egg in a pot of boiling water, and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
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