Tamago Eggs 溏心蛋

You may know the Tamago Eggs 溏心蛋 by various names - lava egg, ramen egg, ajitsuke tamago, soft boiled egg... etc etc. Of course, it is most popular and most commonly paired with Japanese Ramen. In reality, this soft boiled egg with runny egg yolk is compatible with any cuisine. Does it really matter which cuisine it belongs to? I thought it is more important that we enjoy it! Be it by itself or with something else....

Ingredients :

• Few 60gm room temperature eggs (do note that very fresh eggs are more difficult to peel, I used eggs that I have bought for around one week)

Marinade : 

• 1/2 cup light soy sauce (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 cup mirin
• 2-3 tbsp sugar (to taste)
• 1 cup water

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Mix marinade in a bowl and whisk till sugar's dissolved. Set aside.
2. Boil water in a saucepan.
3. Turn to medium heat upon boiling point. 
4. Use a ladle or strainer to slowly and carefully submerge the eggs (one by one) into boiling water. Be gentle or you may end up having cracked egg(s) like one of mine (refer to pic).
5. Start timing right after you are done with the last egg into the saucepan. Do not cover lid. Leave the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes. if you want a very runny egg yolk, try between 5 mins 30 secs to 5 mins 45 secs.
6. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl with ice and water.
7. When time's up, transfer the eggs directly from saucepan into ice water for ice bath.
8. Leave eggs in ice water for at least 5 to 10 minutes (I personally prefer 10 minutes).
9. Peel the eggs after the ice bath. 
10. Submerge eggs into marinade mixture (ensure that marinade mixture level is good enough to submerge full eggs)
11. Store overnight in refrigerator.
12. The eggs are good for consumption the very next day. The yolks should still be runny when you cut the egg into half.

Note : There are many recipes that ask for each egg to be pierced a small hole by a thumbtack. I know I am clumsy. I'd probably break the egg instead. So, I omitted this step. You can do so if you are confident enough. It would probably yield better result.

My husband super love this Tamago Eggs 溏心蛋. He can pop one after another into his mouth whenever I make them. So long as he's happy and enjoying it, I'll just be delighted to make it for him!