Ajitama

Ajitama 🥚 is a japanese style seasoned + cured egg, typically used in ramen.
Here’s how to make it.

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Soft Boil the Eggs

First you need to poke a small hole in each egg on the bottom (fat) part

This allows pressure to escape, and the shell to separate from the egg so it’s easy to peel later.

Boil some water. The eggs will cook for 6 minutes.

Put the eggs in and stir for 30 seconds. This centers the yoke.

Right when they are done, put them into a bowl of ice water.

This is needed to both stop them from cooking longer, and will separate the shell so they can be peeled.

Stir them around a bit too.

Now put these aside.

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The Marinade

The secret is in the sauce.
The eggs will still be a bit raw inside. The marinade will cure them the rest of the way.
The 3 special ingredients you need before you start are

1. Soy Sauce
2. Mirin
3. Sake

These are picked for the unique pairings of salt, sugar, and rice protein that give them their signature flavor. Visit your local asian market to get them.

First add Mirin and Sake to a sauce pan and heat to boil off the alcohol.

The amounts vary by how many eggs you’re making. I use around 50ml to 60ml of each.
After a minute or two, add in your soy sauce. Use a bit more, so 75ml to 100ml.

This shouldn’t be hot, as to not cook the eggs more.
Add a small amount of cold water and let cool.
— You can get creative here, and add chili spices or whatever. But this mixture is the classic, and the one to start with.

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Putting it together

Finally, it’s time to peel the eggs. Be careful, as they should be super soft and easy to break.
A couple tips:

• Crack by tapping the bottom where you made the hole. Otherwise it may split in half.
• Dunk in water to quickly remove any small shell pieces that may be stuck.
  Then put all your eggs in a jar

And add the marinade. You can add water as needed.

Now put this in your fridge and wait at least 2 days, longer the better - It takes time to cure.
You now have ajitama 🥚
Make some ramen!

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