Those Frankenstein eyes bobbing in a jar in the chippy are hardly the finest advertisement for the pickled egg (not that I mind them), but make them yourself and you’ll see just how fine they can be. These are fantastic in a salade niçoise in place of the usual boiled egg, or as a picnicky snack, or dropped into a packet of crisps to pick up some of the salty seasoning. A great recipe to make when you have an excess of eggs.
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 125 ml balsamic vinegar
- 600 ml white wine vinegar
- 4 cloves
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- A handful of thyme
- 2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
- 1 garlic clove, bashed
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 sage leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp salt
How to Make It
- Have the eggs ready at room temperature.
- Place all the ingredients except the eggs in a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely.
- While the liquid is cooling, add the eggs to a pan of simmering water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain off the water and hold the pan of eggs under cold running water for a few minutes to halt the cooking process.
- When the eggs are completely cool, peel them and place in a large, clean, sterilised jar (or two jars), but don’t pack them in tightly. Pour in the pickling liquor to cover the eggs completely (if using two jars, divide the aromatics equally). Seal the jars.
- Store the jars in a cool, dark cupboard to allow the pickled eggs to mature for at least a fortnight before eating.