Hidaka, Hokkaido ¨C It might not seem this way on the surface, but Japan is among the top 10 countries for per-capita egg consumption in the world.
As a daily staple for breakfast and beyond, eggs can be prepared any number of ways, but none is more common than simply boiling in its shell. In this way, soft- and hard-boiled eggs show up across Japanese cuisine: in ramen and oden, Japan¡¯s favorite winter comfort food, in convenience store sandwiches and bento boxes ¡ª Japan loves a good boiled egg.
For my own weekly meal prep, boiling a few eggs is at the top of the list whether I¡¯m eating them as they are, spreading them on toast or adding them as toppings to salads or curries. They¡¯re remarkably versatile, even as a dessert base. Blended with cocoa powder, hard-boiled eggs make the simplest chocolate mousse ever. For a Japanese twist with even more protein, today we use kinako (roasted soybean flour).
Take note: Eggs can give off a somewhat objectionable odor when first boiled. Hydrogen sulfide is released as egg whites set, but when blended, the smell is short-lived, dissipating as the dessert cools. Milk or any alternatives can work in this recipe, but trusty heavy cream holds some air from blending, which adds lightness.
As called for in this recipe, ¡°hard-boiled¡± refers to large eggs boiled for 9-10 minutes. For a jammier middle, try 7-8 minutes or 5-6 minutes for soft boiled. For easy peeling, use eggs that are a few days old.
Serves 2-4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
4 hard-boiled eggs
125 milliliters cream, chilled
25 grams °ì¾±²ú¾±³ú²¹³Ù¨ (cane sugar)
20 grams kinako
5 milliliters vanilla extract
Optional: kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup)
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and carefully add the eggs. Boil for 10 minutes, then shock in a bowl full of ice water.
While the eggs are still warm, peel them by starting at the air pocket at the rounder end. Leave the peeled eggs in the ice water to cool, then dry them off with a kitchen towel.
Dissolve the kinako and °ì¾±²ú¾±³ú²¹³Ù¨ in the chilled cream, then add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Add all your ingredients to a blender or food processor, or blend in a large container with an immersion blender. Make sure you push down any of the mixture on the sides of your container so everything mixes evenly into a thick smooth paste.
Scoop this mixture into two medium or four small serving bowls, cover and let it set in the refrigerator for an hour. Garnish, if you like, with sage, pecans and kuromitsu.
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