You’ve heard of pickled eggs and Ramen eggs, but now make way for the drunken egg. Similar to Japan’s marinated egg, this Korean speciality is a hit for all occasions. Known as Mayak Gyeran in Korean, which translates to “drug eggs” signals the incredibly delicious and addictive taste of these eggs that will have you craving more.
Korean banchan is the category of side dishes that accompanies the main meal and these eggs are a favourite staple. The beauty of these marinated eggs is their versatility, as they can be used as an excellent garnish to heighten the flavours of any dish that you prefer.
The highlight of Mayak Eggs recipe is the aromatic sweet and umami sauce with garlic, green onion, onion, and chilli, added to the nutty aromas from sesame oil and seeds. Even just served over a bowl of rice or noodles, these eggs create a satisfying meal on their own.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tbsp each salt and white vinegar for boiling the eggs
- green onions, seaweed flakes, and/or sesame oil for garnish, optional
Marinade
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup honey corn syrup, oligo syrup, or your choice of liquid sweetener
- ¼ medium onion diced
- 1 green onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 chilli pepper diced
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Method:
- In a bowl or a container, add the marinade ingredients and mix to combine, ensuring all the honey is scraped from the bottom.
- Add vinegar and salt to a pot of boiling water. Reduce the heat and gently place each egg into the water. Simmer for 6 minutes (or 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs). Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- When the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice water bath. Allow the eggs to cool completely, for at least 5-10 minutes.
- Gently peel the eggs and add them to the marinade. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours.
- To serve, place the egg over a bed of rice and garnish with green onion, seaweed flakes, and/or sesame oil to your preference. These eggs serve as an excellent garnish over a bowl of noodles as well. Enjoy!