cured egg yolks
Curing an egg yolk requires no special ingredients and transforms it into a firm, grate-able (almost cheesy) umami bomb. This is written for three egg yolks, truly only because my batched whiskey sours call for three egg whites. Feel free to cure however many egg yolks you want or have. The recipe will stay the same, though you might need more or less of the salt and sugar mixture. Once the yolks are finished, grate them anywhere you’d add Parmesan or any place you’d like to add some savory complexity and depth.
yield 3 egg yolks
1 cup kosher salt, or more as needed
1 cup granulated sugar, or more as needed
3 eggs
1 ts neutral oil (or nonstick cooking spray)
recipe prep
Whisk salt and sugar together to evenly combine. Pour half of the salt and sugar mixture in a loaf pan or medium-large food-safe container and shimmy it to create an even layer. Use the bottom of an egg or tablespoon scoop to make three shallow depressions, equally spread apart.
One by one, gently separate the egg yolks from the whites and carefully place each one in a depression. Gently sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over the egg yolks in an even layer. Cover and chill for 4 days or up to a week.
Preheat oven to 150F or as low as it will go (up to 200F). Brush off egg yolks and rinse (Carefully! Gently!) under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Yolks will look vibrant and semi-translucent like little eggy jewels.
Place a metal wire rack in/on a baking sheet and generously coat with nonstick cooking spray (alternatively, coat your CLEAN hands with 1 teaspoon neutral oil and rub the grates to coat). Cook 1-2 hours (depending on how low your oven will go) until the yolks are opaque and firm with the slightest amount of give (like a firm cheese). Cool before use.
do it ahead Once the egg yolks have been cured and dried in the oven, they will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a month.
oven doesn’t go that low? Cured yolks can be dried out on a metal wire rack in your unheated oven (or any cool, dry, undisturbed place with air flow...like an unheated oven) over the span of two days.
