Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Food post! I love ramen, but my wife can take it or leave it. In her defense, she does enjoy it when we eat it, but she doesn't crave it like I do. Also, we do live in Florida now and I can't blame her for not having a bowl of hot soup at the top of her wishlist when it's in the 90s with 80+% humidity. 

In order to get my ramen fix, I've started taking dried ramen noodle packs and zhuzhing them up with frozen peas, frozen corn, sliced mushrooms, thin sliced and rolled brisket, and perhaps the best thing to push them over the top, marinated eggs.

The marinated eggs are surprisingly easy to make. I usually make about eight at a time.  For the eggs themselves: 

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. You want enough water to cover your eggs. 
2. Once boiling, carefully add your eggs to the pot and boil for 8 minutes. This will give you a soft jammy yoke and fully set white. 
3. After 8 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with ice and water. This will stop the cooking process.
4. After they've fully chilled, peel your eggs and they're ready for the marinade. 

Tip: If you have a bowl or some other kind of container with a tight fitting lid, you can use that to make peeling easier. While they're still in the ice water bath, shake the container. Shake it firmly, but don't go too crazy. The shaking will start breaking up the shell and make it much easier to peel.

Make the Marinade

Making the marinade isn't hard at all, but you will want to let them marinate for at least 8 hours before using them in your ramen, so plan ahead. They get even better and more flavorful the longer they marinate. 

Marinade Ingredients

This picture shows the brands I used, but you can substitute others based on your liking and availability.

0.5c Soy Sauce
0.5c Mirin
0.5c Sake
2t Granulated Sugar 

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. 
2. Heat to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to a simmer, and stir well to dissolve sugar.
4. After 1 minute, turn off heat and allow to cool.
5. Transfer to a suitable container and chill well before adding soft boiled eggs. 
6. Once chilled, add eggs and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours. The longer you go, the more flavor you'll get. 
7. Store eggs in the fridge in the marinade until ready to use.

Re suggestions for dried ramen packs, I'd recommend trying a few different ones to figure out what you like most. My recent favs have been Spicy Tonkotsu and Spicy Miso, both from Sapporo Ichiban. 

I simply prepare per the package directions, then add my frozen veggies, mushrooms, and brisket with 30 seconds left on the boil. Then I'll add the spice packet and transfer to a bowl with a marinated egg. Even straight out of the fridge, the egg tends to warm up in a matter of minutes due to the hot ramen. That's it, enjoy!