Soy-Marinated Eggs

Soy-marinated eggs are a staple of Korean banchan and have avowed fans. The recipe requires minimal effort and prep time, but how you boil your eggs is essential. Jammy eggs with tender-firm egg whites have the optimal texture for this dish, but if you prefer hard-boiled eggs or soft-boiled eggs, adjust the cooking time accordingly. Either way, have an ice bath ready to keep the eggs in your preferred state of doneness. Once they’re cool enough to handle, peel the eggs under running cold water to watch the eggshells practically slip away.

The marinade is slightly different from those for the viral dish mayak gyeran or mayak eggs, which typically uses scallions and sugar or another sweetener in the marinade. This one is a tangy-spicy-salty mix of chiles, soy, mirin, and vinegar. The longer soy-sauce eggs marinate, the more flavorful they’ll be; if you have an hour or less, serve them quartered with some of the pickling liquid drizzled over, or stir some of the marinade into store-bought mayo (like Kewpie) and spread on toast before laying a sliced egg on top.

The submerged eggs will hold in the refrigerator in an airtight container for two days. Enjoy them atop a bowl of ramen, juk, or kimchi jjigae. Or, eat them more simply, over hot rice with a drizzle of sesame oil and a scattering of sliced green onions, pop a wedge or two as a midday snack, or put them out as an appetizer alongside deviled eggs and see which moves faster.