Grate Egg Yolks Like Cheese For A Rich Flavour Topping

Few foods would not benefit from the addition of an egg. Burgers, pizza, pasta, and even last night’s leftover Thai food all seem a bit more rich and decadent with a perfectly cooked egg on top. “Put an egg on it” isn’t a new culinary tip, but grating the yolk over a meal — as you would cheese — is a completely new to me, and it is blowing my egg-loving mind.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Tommy Werner.

Obviously, egg yolks aren’t grate-able in their naturally occurring form. Before a yolk can be grated, its texture must be radically transformed. The key to this, according to the good folks at Epicurious, is to cure the yolks in a mixture of everyone’s favourite culinary solutes: sugar and salt. Once osmosis has done its job and a good bit of moisture has been drawn out, the yolks firm up and become sharper, saltier, grate-able versions of their former selves.

Not only are cured yolks more flavorful, but they are infinitely easier to pack than their soft-boiled counterparts. Lunchtime soups, salads, and reheated takeout are instantly elevated with umami-packed goodness, without the hassle of boiling in the breakroom.

For something so fancy, the execution is startlingly simple. Combine 1 ¾ cups sugar with 1 ¼ cups kosher salt, bury some yolks in the mixture, and store it in a sealable container for about four days in the fridge. There isn’t much more to it, but take a look at the step-by-step guide from Epicurious below for more detailed instructions.

I would never tell you how to live your life, but you should probably grate these all over everything. Pasta, grilled veggies, and avocado toast are all excellent places to start, but feel free to follow your heart (or stomach) on this one.

How to Use Salt and Sugar to Create Grateable Egg Yolks [Epicurious]