Farro Bowl with Tahini Miso Dressing
Spicy peanuts add a zesty crunch to this easy-to-make dish.
Salt-cured egg yolks are golden umami on your plate. This centuries-old technique of curing egg yolks has made its way onto local menus, and this golden pop of umami is welcome indeed. Grated on top of salads, pastas, beef and other dishes, the flavor of preserved yolks is reminiscent of a fine Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but more nuanced. How does this culinary alchemy occur? A combination of salt and sugar turns a raw egg yolk into an epicurean delight. The salt removes moisture and kills bacteria that make food rot, and the sugar feeds good bacteria, which also helps fight bad bacteria. After sitting in this mixture for several days, the yolks are further dried out in a dehydrator or oven, and voila! A cure for the common egg. Grate cured egg yolks and use them in place of Parmesan cheese for a rich, salty condiment.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 egg yolks
Instructions
Combine salt and sugar in a bowl. Spread one half of the mixture in the bottom of an 8 X 8" glass baking dish. Make 4 indentations in mixture. Carefully place an egg in each indentation. Gently sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over top of egg yolks. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 4 days.
To dry eggs, either use a food dehydrator or your oven, set at 150°. Remove yolks from dish and carefully brush salt mixture off each yolk. Gently rinse under cold water to remove any remaining salt, and pat dry with paper towel. Generously coat either a wire rack (for the oven) or the dehydrator rack with nonstick spray oil, and carefully place yolks on rack and dry out for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cured egg yolks last about one month in the refrigerator.
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