HOT PLATES
WORTH THE EGG-CRUCIATING WAIT
While it might take a little longer than usual to prepare, the unassuming salted egg yolk dessert is well worth the wait.
The anticipation of having one of your favourite dishes arrive at the dining table can be quite excruciating. With every passing minute, images of the dish in all its tantilising glory begin to materialise in your mind. Your stomach rumbles for maybe the fourth time since you’ ve placed your order( you’ ve lost count by now), and you take a sip of your drink to help quell your growing hunger. But with the first bite, you’ ll know it’ s all been worth the wait – even more so when the dish comes brimming with salted egg yolk. The bright yellow egg yolk, known for its salty flavour and sandy texture, is often found coating our favourite crustacean dishes and lending a bit of flare to regular vegetables, like spinach, eggplant and pumpkin. Typically made from duck eggs that have been soaked in brine or wrapped with salted charcoal for up to eight weeks, the ingredient is familiar taste for Asians, giving a touch of indulgence to any meal. In traditional Chinese cuisine, the versatile ingredient is almost a staple condiment with congee, adding flavour to the otherwise bland porridge. Despite its track record, the salted egg yolk is set to make a comeback here, blazing a tempting new trail on the local dessert scene. While most of the new dessert creations have been inspired by Hong Kong’ s Liu Sha
Bao( steamed bun with salted egg yolk custard), as well as the delectable mooncake that heralds the approaching Mid-Autumn Festival, salted egg yolk desserts have since come into its own, to become dubbed as the Asian equivalent of the salted caramel. However, instead of building on the essence of the dish, the ingredient has stepped up to now have desserts worked around it in order to complement the unique flavour and texture of the yolk. Taking things just a step further, the salted egg yolk has been transformed into a buttery blaze of decadence as it is immersed in tarts, cakes, and remarkably, macarons; making it in every sense worth the excruciating wait.
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