Gyeran-jangjorim (Soy-Braised Eggs)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan with lid
• •Slotted spoon
• •Medium bowl for ice water
• •Clean glass or stainless storage container

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the eggs

   Put the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add the salt and vinegar; they help the whites set quickly if a shell cracks, and make peeling a little kinder. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a steady simmer and cook 9 minutes for set yolks that are still tender. For a firmer lunchbox egg, cook 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Cool and peel

   Move the eggs straight into a bowl of ice water and let them sit 10 minutes. Crack each egg all over, then peel under a thin stream of running water or in the bowl. A torn egg will still eat well, but smooth whites stain evenly and look cared for.

   Older eggs peel more cleanly than very fresh ones. If your eggs came straight from a farm, give them several days in the refrigerator before making jangjorim.
3. 3

   Build the braise

   In a medium saucepan, combine the water, soy sauce, sugar, rice syrup, onion, garlic, kelp, and dried red chili if using. Bring it just to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pull the kelp out after 5 minutes, because kelp gives good depth quickly and then starts giving a dull bitterness.

4. 4

   Simmer gently

   Add the peeled eggs and keep the liquid at a quiet simmer, not a hard boil. Simmer 20 minutes, turning the eggs every 5 minutes so the color takes evenly. The broth should darken and reduce slightly, but the eggs should not bounce around the pot. Hard boiling makes the whites rubbery, and no amount of sesame seed fixes that.

5. 5

   Add fresh chili

   Add the pierced green chili or shishito peppers for the last 5 minutes if you want a clean green fragrance and a little warmth. Do not cook them the whole time or their flavor goes flat. Taste the broth now: it should be saltier than soup, because it is meant to season rice in spoonfuls.

6. 6

   Cool in broth

   Turn off the heat and let the eggs cool in the braising liquid for 20 minutes. This resting time matters. The eggs take in color and seasoning as they cool, and the flavor becomes rounder without more cooking.

7. 7

   Store and serve

   Transfer the eggs and broth to a clean container, leaving the onion and garlic in if you like them. Refrigerate once the broth is no longer hot. Serve whole, halved, or quartered, with a spoonful of broth over warm rice and a scatter of toasted sesame seeds and scallion.

Chef Tips

• •Use Korean brewed soy sauce if you can. If your soy sauce is very dark or harsh, use 3/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup water in its place. The broth should season the egg, not punish it.
• •For quail egg jangjorim, use 30 peeled quail eggs and simmer only 10 to 12 minutes in the same broth. Small eggs take color quickly and toughen quickly too.
• •The safe corner to cut is the vessel: any medium saucepan works. The corner not to cut is the cooling step. Eggs cooled in the broth taste seasoned; eggs lifted out too soon taste painted brown on the outside.
• •For mayak-style soft eggs, do not simmer the peeled eggs in hot broth. Boil 6 1/2-minute eggs, chill and peel them, cool the soy broth completely, then marinate the eggs refrigerated for 6 to 12 hours. That is a different modern cousin, not the same hard-boiled jangjorim.

Advance Preparation

• •Gyeran-jangjorim is better after 1 night in the refrigerator, when the color deepens and the broth settles into the egg white.
• •Keep refrigerated in its broth for up to 5 days. Use clean utensils each time, and do not leave the container sitting out on the table.
• •The braising broth can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it back to a simmer before adding freshly boiled and peeled eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)