Title: Old and Fresh Eggs
Categories: Chinese Appetizer Ceideburg
Yield: 1 Batch

2		Preserved eggs
2		Fresh eggs
1	tb	Chicken stock
1/8		Level teaspoon salt
		Oil or fat
2	ts	Soy sauce
2	ts	Sesame oil
1/2		Level teaspoon MSG

This is another treatment of Thousand Year Eggs. It's a bit more complex than just eating them with a dip, but is still simple and elegant. I'd consider the use of MSG as optional, but authentic. The preservation of eggs by alkaline ash turns the white to brown and the yolk to green. This colour change is actually very beautiful. Gently crack the shells of the preserved eggs and remove the egg white (brown) carefully, reserving it. Mash the yolks and combine them with the fresh eggs, chicken stock and salt. Grease a bowl and pour in the egg mixture. Steam it for about 20 minutes. When cool, loosen the egg from the bowl, slice it in half and cut each half into thins slices. Chop the egg white (brown) very finely, and arrange the slices around it. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and MSG together, and carefully spoon this sauce over the slices only. The sauce will gradually seep into the egg.

From "Chinese Gastronomy" by Hsiang Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin, First Harvest/HBJ, New York, 1977. Introduction by Lin Yutang.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg September 7 1990.

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