This recipe is in honor of our seventeen lovely new chicks, who arrived in November and moved out to the big-girl coop this past weekend to join the gold-laced Wyandottes who’ve been with us for about three years now. The little girls won’t be laying for a little while yet, but their pale pink combs are starting to color and fill out! Once they begin to lay, we’ll have dozens and dozens of eggs!

Every once in a while you come across an amazing, new recipe, something you’ve never heard of before but which sounds extraordinarily wonderful. This is one of those recipes, and you can thank the wonderful food blog, food52, for a prior version of this recipe.

To quote the author, “What I like best is that these eggs can be used in a thousand different ways: They are perfect for breakfast, for a midafternoon snack, sliced onto an English muffin or a plate of arugula, and more.”

To quote me, “Oh come on, you know you’re just gonna open that jar, slip out a gorgeous egg, and nibble it right down to your fingers!” Yes, I know this recipe has sugar, but I didn’t want to substitute honey in case it affects its 4-week refrigerator life. If, on the other hand, you plan to eat them all within a few days, then go ahead and try it with the substitution.

6 large eggs
6 tbsp. warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar into the water until completely dissolved. Stir in the sherry vinegar and tamari.

Set a large pot of water up to boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the pot, and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 90 seconds to distribute the heat evenly.

Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice. At the end of the cooking time, transfer the eggs as quickly as possible into the ice bath. Once they are cool, peel them under the water. This should help to keep the outsides perfectly smooth.

Place the eggs in a bowl or jar filled with the soy sauce, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours. To make sure the eggs remain completely submerged, you may need to cover the bowl with a small plate if necessary. Remove the eggs from the marinade, and serve.

Two interesting facts: #1 As long as you keep them refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, the eggs will keep for up to 4 weeks. #2 You can save the soy sauce for a second batch of eggs.

To serve, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and season lightly with fresh black pepper. Bon appetit!