Quail Egg Onsen Tamago (Hot Spring Eggs)
Hot spring eggs are fun in that in Japan (and elsewhere where hot public baths and springs exist), you can purchase a couple of eggs to cook while you… cook. The unique temperature result is an egg with runny silken tofu-like whites, with semi firm yolks. it’s like a reversed soft boiled egg.
Sunk in a simple dashi soy sauce and some minced spring onions and shichimi pepper flakes, it’s a tasty treat.
I no longer raise chickens (at least for the remainder of the year) but I do have a beefed up quail population which gives me a steady supply of little bite sized eggs. I decided to play around with this style of cooking eggs.
It took a couple of tries because I don’t have a thermometer (in which case 70 degrees C for 15 minutes works) so I had to do a ratio of cold to boiling water. I found a 1:4 ratio works.
Ingredients
- 6 quail eggs, washed
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 cup room temperature water
- Dashi soy sauce (mirin, soy sauce, kombu, water)
- Minced chives
- Shichimi pepper (optional)
- Place 6 quail eggs in a pot and combine room temperature and boiling water in pot.
- Allow to sit about 10-15 minutes. Remove and crack open into bowl.
- Drizzle dashi and garnish.
- Alternatively, keep the eggs in 70 degrees C water for about 15 minutes.