Mayak Eggs (Mayak Gyeran) – Korean Marinated Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 eggs (, at room temperature)
• 1/2 Tbsp fine salt
• 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 3 g dried kelp ((dashima / kombu), (0.1 ounce))
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (, regular (I use Kikkoman brand))
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sweet rice wine ((mirin))
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 50 g onion (, finely chopped, (1.8 ounce))
• 20 g green onion ((white part), finely chopped, (0.7 ounce))
• 1 red chili (, seeds removed and finely chopped)
• seaweed flakes
• sesame seeds
• green onion ((green part), finely chopped)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the dried kelp in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water and let it soak for 20 minutes to rehydrate. After soaking, discard the kelp but keep the soaking water—it will be used later. Set the water aside.

2. 2

   In a medium-sized pot, bring a generous amount of water to a boil over medium-high heat (about 8 minutes on a gas stove), adding the salt and vinegar. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium and gently lower the eggs into the pot using a slotted spoon or ladle. Boil for about 6 to 7 minutes to achieve a perfectly soft-boiled texture, known as bansuk, similar to ramen eggs.

3. 3

   Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the eggs from the pot and transfer them to a bowl filled with ice-cold water. Allow the eggs to sit until fully cooled to the touch—about 8 to 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Lightly tap the eggs all around with the back of a spoon to create small cracks in the shells—this will make peeling easier. Then, peel them carefully and rinse under cold running water to remove any remaining shell fragments that may be stuck to the eggs.

5. 5

   In a bowl, combine the soaked kelp water (from step 1) with soy sauce, honey, sugar, mirin, minced garlic, ginger powder, onion, green onion, and red chili to make the sauce. Place the peeled eggs in a container, then pour the sauce over them, making sure the eggs are completely covered in the sauce.

6. 6

   Refrigerate the eggs overnight to allow them to marinate and absorb the flavors. If the eggs aren’t fully covered, turn them over after 8 to 12 hours to ensure they are evenly coated.

7. 7

   Serve the eggs as a side dish with a bowl of rice and other Korean side dishes. For an easy meal, simply serve the eggs over a bed of rice. Drizzling a generous amount of the sauce over the top. For an added layer of flavor, garnish with seaweed (gim), sesame seeds and green onions.