A little patience turns ordinary egg yolks into something rather special. Cured in salt and sugar, then gently dried, they become firm, rich and intensely savoury, almost like a hard cheese. Grate them over pasta, roasted vegetables, salads or anything that could do with a little extra flavour.
Preparation: 15 minutes
Curing: 4–7 days
Drying: 4–6 hours
Total time: Approximately 5–8 days
Makes: 6 cured egg yolks
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 200g fine sea salt
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Method
- Prepare the cure
Mix the salt, sugar and smoked paprika in a bowl. Spread roughly half the mixture across the bottom of a small, shallow container, making sure there’s enough depth to support the yolks. - Add the egg yolks
Using the back of a spoon, make six small hollows in the cure. Carefully separate the eggs and place a yolk into each hollow, leaving a little space between them. Try not to break them, but don’t worry if they’re not perfectly round. - Cover and cure
Gently spoon the remaining salt mixture over the yolks until completely buried. Cover the container and refrigerate for 4–7 days. The yolks will gradually firm up as the salt draws out their moisture. - Rinse and dry
Carefully lift the yolks from the cure and gently rinse away the excess salt under cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Place on a clean wire rack in a dehydrator at 60–65°C for 4–6 hours, or until firm and dry enough to grate. The exact time depends on their size and how long they’ve cured. - Store and use
Once cooled, transfer to a clean, airtight container and refrigerate. Grate finely over your favourite dishes, much like Parmesan.
Notes
- Flavour variations: Try adding dried thyme, rosemary, chilli flakes or smoked paprika to the cure. Keep additions fairly subtle so the rich yolk flavour still comes through.
- Drying: A dehydrator gives the most consistent results. A conventional oven may not hold a sufficiently low, steady temperature, so use an oven only if it can reliably maintain the required temperature.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated and use within 1 week, or freeze for longer storage. Homemade curing and drying don’t guarantee that the yolks are safe to keep at room temperature.
- Leftover egg whites: Save them for meringues, macarons, omelettes or chocolate mousse. Refrigerate promptly and use within 2 days, or freeze.
- Leftover curing mixture: Because it’s been in contact with raw eggs, discard it rather than drying and reusing it as seasoning.
A little tip: The finished yolks don’t need to look particularly pretty. Some will flatten slightly, others might develop uneven edges. What matters is that they’re firm, dry and easy to grate. A little goes a long way, so start with a light dusting and add more if you fancy it.