Marbled Tea Eggs with Smoked-Tea Dipping Salt

By • September 8, 2011 • 8 Comments


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Author Notes: This recipe came from my friend's parents, who are excellent cooks. For added flavor, I used a smokey Lapsang Souchong tea, substituted some smoked sea salt, and added a touch of sugar to the cooking liquid. I devised the dry dipping salt as an accompaniment; the idea was suggested by similar blends in Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East book of vegetarian cooking. It is also tasty as a dip for chunks of raw vegetables such as cucumber or cauliflower or sprinkled over a green salad with a lemony dressing. - creamtea

Makes 8 eggs

  • 8 eggs
  • 3-4 teaspoons or 3-4 teabags of loose black tea (preferably a smokey Lapsang Souchong such as "Hu Kwa", but feel free to experiment)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons coarse, smoked sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  • 1/2 rounded teaspoon coarse, smoked sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon (or teabag) of Lapsang Souchong tea
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • 1 teaspoon South African Smoked Spice blend, if available, or 1 teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted, OR one small piece cinnamon bark (optional)
  1. Bring eggs and water to cover to a boil in a saucepan. When water boils, remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest 12 minutes.
  2. While eggs are coming to the simmer, prepare a medium bowl of ice water.
  3. Carefully remove eggs from hot water to bowl of ice water.
  4. With the back of a spoon, carefully crack the shells. Do not remove the shells; you want to create a network of cracks. It's o.k. if some cracks "cave in" a little.
  5. Rinse pan. Add 4 cups of cold water and next six ingredients (remove printed tags if using tea bags). Add eggs. Bring pan to simmer over low to medium heat and simmer about 20 minutes to 1/2 hour or longer. The longer they simmer, the richer the color. Prepare another bowl of ice water.
  6. Plunge the eggs into the ice water and shell them. If they sit in the shells, the yolks will develop that unattractive grayish covering. Peel from top point on down. The liquid will have created a pretty marbleized pattern and having done its job, can now be discarded.
  7. To make the spice blend: in a spice grinder or small food processor (or using elbow grease and a mortar and pestle) combine the final six ingredients. If using cinnamon, you only need a portion of a one-inch piece (strike it once in a mortar and pestle to break it up and use one or two of the pieces). Whir the grinder for a few seconds to combine. Empty into a pretty condiment bowl. Stir in the sesame seeds.
  8. Serve the eggs, accompanied by the dipping salt, as an appetizer.

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4 months ago lapadia

Such a fun recipe, I've made tea eggs using chocolate tea just to change is up a bit.

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about 1 year ago pnavarro

Wow, this sounds really interesting to make, so I went on a mission to find Lapsong Sousong Tea. I found it today! Now I'm looking forward to the weekend to make these for brunch!

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over 1 year ago Summer of Eggplant

Beautiful, looking forward to trying these.

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over 1 year ago creamtea

thanks Summer, I hope you do. They're fun to make and a handy appetizer (or halved and plated with a salad course).

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over 1 year ago aargersi

Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.

Wow, these are about the prettiest thing I have ever seen! I want to do this to quail eggs

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over 1 year ago creamtea

Thanks! Quail eggs would be so cute. Probably need to use a teeny espresso spoon or baby spoon to tap the shells.

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almost 2 years ago creamtea

Thanks, dymnyno! The flavor is subtle but delicious; I suggested some additional seasonings to serve them with.

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almost 2 years ago dymnyno

I love the sound of this...definitely trying it when I get back frm my trip!

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