Egg yolks are one of the most magical of foods. Chefs all over the world wax poetic about them, but it’s hard to understand why when all you might be exposed to are the wan, watery, factory-farmed yolks you see in most supermarkets. A golden treasure they are not.
You can only understand the joy — lust, even — over an egg when you finally see (and taste) a real egg, eggs from chickens raised on grass and bugs and whatever else it is that a hen loves to nibble throughout the day.
Before I’d encountered such eggs, when I saw pictures of Italian egg pasta, I thought they were retouched: Their pasta is always bright yellow. As much as I tried, I found it impossible to duplicate with eggs from the supermarket. I talked to Italian pasta makers and they said you need yolks of a truly golden, almost orange, hue. That’s what gives you that pretty color.
I came into possession of such eggs from my friend Teala’s father, who raises ducks and geese in my neighborhood. It’s what I prefer to use for my pasta, and, just like the Italian pasta pictures I swooned over, the photos on this post are not retouched. This is precisely how yellow they actually are.
Not too long ago, Teala’s dad gave me two goose eggs along with the duck eggs. I was amazed at their size. I cracked one open and made an entire batch of pasta with that one egg. I was shocked at how orange the yolk was — brighter even than the duck eggs.
I wanted to capture that color, that richness. I’d known about salt cured egg yolk for a few years; my friends, Chefs Brad Cecchi and Oliver Ridgeway at Grange in downtown Sacramento had first clued me into it. Basically you bury egg yolks in salt, then dry them out until they are like a very hard cheese. This is exactly how you use them — as a golden, eggy, über rich substitute for grated cheese over pasta or rice.
Brad and Oliver never explained to me exactly how to do this, but fortunately Chef Jeffrey Weiss does in his remarkable book CharcuterÃa: The Soul of Spain. You will be seeing a lot of this book in the months to come. I am mildly obsessed with it and have already made a half-dozen or so of its recipes, ranging from salami to sausages to cured fish and now, here, salt cured egg yolks.
If you’ve never cured anything in your life, this would be a good place to start. It’s really easy and comes together in about 2 weeks. And once you’ve made the cured yolks, you can use them over pasta for months.
What else can you do with cured egg yolk? Not sure. I eat a lot of pasta. What would you suggest?
Grate your egg yolks over any of these pasta recipes.
Salt Cured Egg Yolk
Ingredients
- Egg yolks
- Salt
- Cheesecloth
Instructions
- Get yourself two containers: One for the whites, so you can do something with them later, and one to cure the yolks. You will need to lay down a half-inch layer of kosher salt in the bottom of your curing container; you can go a little deeper if you want. Make little depressions in the salt to hold the egg yolks.
- Crack the eggs and separate them. Gently lay the yolk in one of the depressions and repeat until you have all your eggs in the container. Now bury them in more salt.
- Keep the yolks buried in the salt for a week in the refrigerator. Take them out -- the yolks will be firm and a little tacky still -- and carefully brush off the salt. You might need to remove the salt with a damp paper towel.
- Wrap the yolks loosely in cheesecloth and hang them in the fridge until they are dry, about 7 to 14 days. Store in the cheesecloth in a closed container in the fridge.
Notes
Preserving the Harvest
You’ll find dozens of ways to preserve the bounty of your garden, or from your wild foraging trips, here on Hunter Angler Gardener Cook!
If the yolk leaks a minimum is it still ok? Tried one and it’s firming up overnight, but a little yolk did leak out. Just checking
My girls don’t eat salad without this.
Old Post but thanks for the info. I’m working on some RnD for the restaurant. Marinated the yolks the same way you would make soy eggs but raw. Currently on day 6 of curing. Gonna try half regular and half a with tea smoke finish. Information makes the culinary world a better place!
For my first attempt, I added 2 drops of liquid smoke, and 2 drops kefir water. I’ll report the results in a few days.
I’m trying the recipe a little different. I’m drying hard boiled egg yolks in salt… we’ll see…
Your recipe for preserving egg yolks uses only salt. I have seen other recipes on line that use an equal amount of sugar as well. What’s the difference? Can the salt include flavorings such as chopped fresh herbs or garlic?
Rod: The sugar also removes moisture, but leaves the yolk slightly sweet, which I don’t like. And I have never tried adding herbs.
Hank: I’ll try it and let you know how it goes.
After you’re done with one batch, can you reuse the salt on another?
Kristofer: I would guess so.
Have you ever dried them in the oven? I’m just curious. Most of the recipes I just found dry them that way.
Brenda: No, I haven’t. I prefer the slow dry in the fridge.
Quick question: when you say wrap the yolks loosely in cheesecloth, I assume they can all be put together and not wrapped separately? Sorry if it’s a silly question, just want to be sure:)
Pam: They need to be separated at least until they are no longer sticky.
This is a perfect way to keep some of the flavor of your abundance of eggs if you keep backyard chickens and allow them to stop laying in the winter. It adds so much rich flavor to a dish. You can turn anything into a popping recipe by shaving some of this on top.
Are you sure the cured yolks can keep indefinitely in the fridge? I would think there’s a expiration/freshness period for them.
David: Yes, I am sure. They are heavily salted. I’ve used them more than a year later and they were fine, like and old pecorino cheese.
I just made these and added some dried spices to the salt mixture. Instead of hanging the yolks after the salt cure, I dried them in the dehydrator for about 3 hours at 140 degrees. You can also heat your oven to its lowest temperature, turn the oven off, place the eggs on a rack and let them sit overnight. These are fantastic grated over vegetables and salads as well as pasta.
Thanks, this is great! Most other recipes seem to call for sugar but that seemed unnecessary to me, and sure enough, here we are without. Just picked up some duck eggs from a nearby farm and will get this started before the busyness of the weekend!
Do the yolks need to be hung individually wrapped in the cheesecloth or can a bunch of them be all wrapped up together, touching each other in the same bundle?
Tim: They need to be separate.
I can’t wait to try this! I will use the leftover salt for salting my walk. That’s all I use anyway.
I am one week into the initial cure and my yokes are not firm. I noted the salt was wettish which was good, but then I though maybe I should have left the container uncovered to let the removed moisture escape. Should the curing container be covered or uncovered?
It sounds very interesting! A question I had was could you combine more than one yolk together into the salt and then into the cheesecloth? Or do they have to be separate? Also, should it be in one layer of cheesecloth or several?
Scott: One yolk. If you break them they won’t hold shape. Several layers of cloth.
So neat! Any use for the salt after that? Would hate to waste it…
Ashley: I toss it or use it for more eggs.
Salted eggs have strong roots in Cantonese cuisine, and in recent years they’ve found their way into pastry – mixed up into a custard and put in buns or croissants!
I also finish mine in the smoker. So tasty!
I slice mine very thin and eat with cheese, meat, and crackers. Delicious!
If you freeze your eggs , and partially defrost them, get rid of the white, leave the yoke semi froze, make it much easier to handle.
Thank you! Good to know the salt is a feature, not a bug.
Hey! I tried this about a year ago with some chicken eggs (good ones though- my neighbor raises them!) and it didn’t totally work out for me. I had a really hard time getting the salt off when the yolks were still at the tacky stage, and then once they’d dried it was impossible (duh) and too salty. Also, I wasn’t totally sure when I should declare them dry.
Anyways, I now have ducks (!) that are going to start laying in the fall, and I was thinking about trying this again. Any thoughts?
PS: “I dunno, this is kinda foolproof?” would be a perfectly charitable answer. I have a tendency to struggle with things that are supposed to be dead-simple :D.
Becca: You only brush off most of the salt, not all. And they are supposed to be super salty — they’re a condiment, shaved onto things, after all. If the yolks are still too tacky when you check them, keep them buries another day. And you declare them dry when you can pick one up and shave it. It will continue to dry as time goes on.
Hi. Do you know if these could be vacuum
Sealed to make shelf stable?
Sarah: They are pretty stable as-is. I’ve kept them in a plastic container in the fridge for more than a year.
I just put my first batch of these in the fridge and am very excited to see how they turn out. What do you do with all your left over salt, cure more yolks?
How long could a cured yolk keep at room temperature or above? Interested to take one on a 6 day backpacking trip to liven up backcountry meals. Thanks!
Andrew: Once it’s done, you’ll be fine. These things are so salty not much can hurt them.
I love to shave these over a salad or into soup. Delicious!
What happens if I accidentally left it out the first day? It was a fresh duck egg that was already sitting on the counter since they weren’t washed. I think it’s okay, but do you think the curing time will be shorter since it was at room temp?
Yecca: You should be fine.
Could the yolk be cold smoked between the cure and dry?
D.Davis: No. Too gooey. But it could be smoked maybe 3/4 of the way through drying. Good idea!
I love watching people’s faces when they rave about how delicious my “jumbo” eggs are and I point out they come from my ducks. Course, my pan fried venison cube steaks raise a few eyebrows too. Thx for the salted yolk recipe.will try this week
I have made the salt cured egg yolks several times now! The process of removing the yolk from the salt is like opening Christmas presents to me! Fantastic and wonderful step by step! Thanks Hank!
Any tips on how to hang them in the fridge? I’m imagining strung over a wooden spoon resting over a bowl?
Melissa: Sure. Bundle up in cheesecloth and use a twist tie to hand from a shelf bracket in the fridge.
Mind blown
Have duck eggs.. Will try. Never heard of this.
Curious, have you ever attempted to freeze them after they are cured?
Does it matter what salt you use, other than maybe staying away from an iodized salt?
Christianne: I like a fine grained sea salt. Seems to cover the yolks more cleanly.
Any chance we could see how you “hang” the yolks in the fridge?
Alex: Just fold them up in cheesecloth and use a twist tie to attach the bundle to the underside of a fridge rack.
I’ve seen a lot of differing instructions for time buried in the salt. I’ve done about 8 and I plan on experimenting taking one out of the salt and hanging very 2 days. I took my first out today.
Are they hung together in the cheese cloth (touching each other) or separate?
Stephen: Separate.
You mentioned Sacramento so I assume your fairly local. I’m in Placerville am have around 40 amazing chickens and amazing eggs. Dark orange yokes. I will be giving this a try! If you ever need eggs- you can look me up on FB! Nicolecargo84@gmail.com
Also, what’s the longest they should hang in the cheese cloth? And, how is it best to store them when they’re done drying?
Thank you so much!
I can’t wait to try them. I made 2 dozen!
Tasha: I’ve hung them in the cheesecloth a year. They get brittle though. And you just need to get off most of the salt, not all.
Ok, Mine are duck eggs and they’re coming out of the salt today. They look lovely! A little sticky still, but according to what I’ve read here it sounds like that’s ok. You mention using a wet paper towel to get the salt off. How much salt do I need to get off? Is it ok if there is a bit left? I used a regular towel to gently brush off the excess. But, I’m afraid to go further.
Raised on a turkey farm…this works amazing with turkey eggs (which are also waaaaay more delish than chicken eggs
Also, before I read the comments I had already added the top layer of salt and I noticed I had a couple of yolks that were leaking. Do you think it will be ok?
If I want to do a dozen duck yolks at once any recommendations on HOW to hang gem dry in the fridge?
Tasha: In cheesecloth from the racks. As for the leaking yolks, it’s not ideal. I’d re-do it.
Whole salted eggs have been eaten in Asia for centuries as an accompliment to rice. The Chinese put salted duck yolks in their mooncakes eaten during the autumn solstice festival: a taste of the sweet lotus paste and bits of the salty yolk is extraordinary. Now adays Asian chefs have taken the salted yolks into new heights. It is a rage right now in highend restaurants; pumpkin with salted eggs, crabs with salted eggs, sponge cake layered with salted eggs , these are but a few of the versitality of the humble egg.
What I love about Allen’s comment is if it were TRUE you’d see orange/golden yolks in production eggs.
I have an abundance of quail eggs so am gonna try with those. Thinking they’ll be a little faster to cure?
Yes, probably 3 days faster
Thank you for the recipe,
My only question is, how long can an uncooked yolk be outside of it’s eggshell?
Isn’t it going to turn bad after two weeks, even in the fridge?
General rule of the thumb is to eat raw eggs very fresh, if at all..
Valid point for salmonella too 🙂
Mariya: Not sure what you mean. The yolk is buried in salt, which kills all bacteria. No chance of salmonella. I’ve had these a year old and they’re fine — the salt protects you.
“Charcuteria, The Soul of Spain” was the reason I spent 5 weeks last Spring eating Jamon and other delights. The salt cured yolks can be used for making the most amazing eggs you will ever eat. Much like using “lobster butter” for Lobster, or juicing carrots or asparagus then using those juices to steam or sautee’ those respective vegetables. Once you use these yolks as a garnish for any egg dish, you will be addicted!
Sadly, the Italian eggs you’re talking about have such rich yellow yolks because the hens are fed colouring. Not unlike farmed salmon, which is fed a range of artificial colouring to mimick the natural colour of wild salmon.
Of course real eggs still exist, but few people indeed have access to them – and surely not through the retail chain.
Just as with salmon, people are so addicted to the colour that the pale custard (or egg noodles, or croissants – you name it) obtained using organic or even simply plain, uncoloured eggs (the “special”, coloured ones are sold in separate boxes) don’t sell as well as the ones made from artificially coloured eggs. Even my mentor in patisserie – a chef with 40+ years of experience, maintains they have a better “flavour” (which is plainly impossible, given these are inferior eggs laid by caged hens).
Thanks Hank! I was wondering what dishes this is traditionally used in.
Have you reused the salt to make more cured egg yolks?
Josh: I have not.
Is this salmonella safe?
Poppi: Not sure, but you are encasing the yolks in pure salt. Not much can live through that. And I always use very high quality eggs, which are generally free from salmonella.
We do this at the restaurant I used to work at, Trenchermen! Chef loves to grate them over beef tartare, and his vegetarian grains dish. I believe we used a mixture of salt and sugar and we let them dry fully in it, they were flipped after a week or so.
How do you hang them in the fridge?
Joylan: Wrapped in cheesecloth that’s been tied in a bundle. Hang bundle however you can in the fridge.
I am coming up on a week in my smoked salt, thyme and cracked pepper mix.
I fry up the egg whites with a little shredded cheddar cheese and then mix it up with the dogs dinner. She loves it.
Making this now. I don’t have lovely dark yolks but I am making macarons for a wedding and want to try this.
I have done the salting side of things, and have hung them in the fridge for 10 days, but they are not hard, they are gelatenous in the centre and not able to be grated or chopped due to this texture… Have I done something wrong or just not long enough drying them?
Interesting. I suspect the yolks needed to salt a bit longer. Never had that happen. Keep drying them, they’ll solidify eventually.
Is it OK to go ahead and hang them if they are still a little “wet” one face? I just unburied mine and noticed a few are still a little runny, they were buried in salt for 7 days while I was out of town. I went ahead and wrapped & hung them, but want to make sure I’m not inviting disaster and should start over!
Yep, you can hang them. They should dry out fine in the fridge. The slightly wet part might stick to the cheesecloth, so be careful when you unwrap them later.
Sure enjoyed this! Just had a pasta carbonara of sorts, using only the shredded cured egg yolks-no raw. I’m thinking it would be delicious on a Caesar Salad. Thank you Hank!
Hank, I need ideas for what to do with egg whites other than using them to make desserts. Do you have any savory recipe suggestions for using leftover egg whites?
Of course! I always use the whites to make a pasta called “sheets and linens,” which uses only the whites.
Egg Yolk Bottarga, i have been making for a while in my restaurant. I blend the yolks, shape a sous vide bag like a piece of bottarga and pour the yolk in, sealing it shut. They are then cooked sous vide 72C for 35 minutes, cooled in an ice bath. It is now set enough to salt and dry but not discoloured
Oh, man, I’m definitely going to make these! And I’m going to grate them over MOREL RISOTTO.
Question: when you say, “Wrap the yolks loosely in cheesecloth and hang them in the fridge until they are dry, about 7 to 14 days” do you mean pile them all together in the cheesecloth, or wrap and hang them separately? I’m making gum paste (I decorate cakes as a sideline), using 8 egg whites, and was wondering what to do with the yolks. This looks like the answer – I love fermenting and curing food myself.
Is salting egg yolks a modern or traditional food preservation technique? The recipe above seems modern (using refridgeration).
So amazing!! Am going to have to try this soon. Egg whites freeze well, so if you don’t have a use for them right away (aren’t making meringues, or angelfood cake) you can freeze your whites in baggies or chicken eggwhites fit each to a standard icecube tray ‘cube’. If you can get the larger egg whites to freeze in cube trays then you know you have that number of tablespoonfuls of eggwhite for use inthe future (one cube=one chicken egg). Just saying, there’s options for the whites!! 😀 … Now, to find local goose eggs!!!
Having a fresh supply of turkey eggs, I will definitely try this. Thank you!
Having a fresh supply of Turkey eggs, I will definitely try this.
Thank you!
I think you could use these in the many Chinese recipes that use salted duck eggs. For example, there is a lovely soup which has a base of chicken stock, a bit of pork and preserved mustard greens. The final flourish to the soup is salted duck yolk which is kind of sticky but when cooked in the soup goes firm like normal hard boiled eggs. It adds a great umami hit to the soup.
Got this in the works. This couldn’t be simpler and I can’t wait to hear the comments from the family regarding the little cheesecloth balls hanging in the fridge. Thanks so much for all the cool and rewarding recipes!
Think it would work with ostrich eggs?
This is fantastic. I can’t wait to try this. What is the texture and consistency of the cured eggs like? Could they be sliced or would they crumble. If they crumbled I think they would make a cool addition to a salad. If they could be sliced then I’d serve them with charcuterie.
Hi Hank,
What a great insight. We cure a lot of things at The El Dorado Meat Collective but haven’t yet cured egg yolks. We usually buy duck and goose eggs from our local co-op or direct from local farms…chicken eggs too. I can no longer cook with the thin, watery, flavorless yolks of the mainstream grocery store – and agree that the color is only the tip of the iceberg with good eggs, far more nutrition, much richer taste, and much better texture in cooking.
Not sure, but I’m thinking that the cured yolks would still add a “custard-like” consistency to any sauces you add it to, along with the more concentrated flavor and salt. Of course, you can use fresh eggs for the consistency, but I think I’m going to play around with it and see what new recipes I can come up with.
Thanks!
Crystal & Jon
This reminds me of the salted eggs and egg yolks (usually duck) used in Chinese cooking.
As for uses, how about grated into pierogi filling?
For brhau/Hank Shaw,
I had the same thought about bottarga. Has anyone tried combining salt-cured egg yolks and bottarga with melted butter grated over spaghettini?
Ward Horack
London
In response to Allan about Ag methods, and speaking as a veterinarian: Ag methods absolutely DO make a difference in yolk quality, and overall egg quality in addition. there has been enough research comparing the content of wild and truly pastured eggs compared to caged, commercial fed chicken eggs to show that.
Vit E, Omega 3,6,9 fatty acid ratios, Vit A and beta-caroteine, B-vits, as well as other nutrients are far better in truly pastured eggs. Also, seeds and grains don’t provide a lot of carotenoids. vegetable matter and insect parts do. Yes, one can feed marigold extract to chickens, one might get darker yolks (I’ve haven’t seen research on that). but that does not necessarily reflect higher nutritional quality.
That is SO cool! Thanks! Something fermented I can easily do at home, and it makes so much sense — yolks are basically the ‘milk’ or ‘cheese’ of fowl. I bet it tastes amazing, too. Wow, i’m floored. So much to discover of the food in other cultures, i doubt there is anything that hasn’t already been done somewhere! Thanks again for this (and sorry for the gushing 😉
jg
The color in the yolks is due to the volume of carotenoids the chicken eats. Wild chickens get this from bugs and seeds, and it would make sense that ducks and geese have yellower yolks than chickens – the same way flamingos turn pink from eating shellfish.
In most modern agriculture, the volume of carotenoids is precisely controlled and measured. It’s primarily consumer preference across countries, not difference in agriculture methods. If you’re raising chickens, you can add marigold extract to their feed to get that same dark golden color.
Thanks Hank!
I have so many duck eggs I don’t know what to do with them all and my two African Geese give my about four eggs a week this time of year.
Cheers!
This reminds me of the chicken “bottarga” at State Bird, which is also smoked. I will definitely try this!
MFree and Mikio: I am sure they will be fine if they are barely touching, but not so sure about making a block out of mixed yolks. The reason is because when you do that, the yolk will seep into the salt and not stay as a cohesive mass. I’d stick to unbroken yolks.
Teala: Yes. In the fridge.
I knew you’d do something wicked cool with the goose eggs!!! When the eggs are curing in the salt, do you keep them in the fridge or???
Does the external barrier of the yolk need to be intact, or could i maybe put multiple chicken yolks into some sort of combined chunk (salt mold?) to make a bigger block? Hope that made sense.
Lovely.
FYI, I have seen duck eggs (often) and goose eggs (not so often) in our local Asian market.
This is brilliant! Such a great way to preserve eggs as well, when my chickens are laying heavily. Make meringues with the egg whites. 🙂
Is it okay if the yolk are touching while curing? Or do we need a large enough container to keep them separate?
Brilliant way to magically transform egg yolks!
Lou: I don’t think so because they are hard, like pecorino cheese.
Fratello,
Can use them in place of yolks in recipes (taking salt into consideration, obviously)?