Soleier (Pickled Eggs)

Ingredients

• 5 onion peels
• 10 eggs
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 4 allspice
• 1 tbsp peppercorns
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Szechuan pepper
• 1 tsp lovage
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 100 ml vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 750 ml water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp salt

Method

Start the brine with onion skins simmering in water for five minutes — the papery outer layers leach tannins and colour into the liquid, which will eventually stain the egg whites. Remove the skins after twenty minutes total and discard them.

Add the eggs to the still-hot brine along with sugar, salt, and all spices except vinegar and garlic. Bring to a rolling boil and hold it for seven minutes. This egg-cookery timing sets the whites to a firm custard while keeping the yolks jammy. The spices undergo spice-blooming in the heat, releasing their volatile oils into the water — caraway, mustard seed, and Szechuan pepper will perfume the eggs far more effectively than if they were added cold. After seven minutes, fish the eggs out with a slotted spoon and crack the shells all over by rolling them gently across a hard surface. Do not peel them yet.

Pack the cracked eggs into a clean jar with the garlic cloves. Pour the hot spiced brine over them, then add the vinegar. The acid arrests the cooking and begins the pickling process immediately — it denatures any remaining proteins on the surface and will soften the whites slightly over time, creating that characteristically creamy texture. Top with cold water if needed to submerge everything completely. Seal and leave at cool room temperature (or a cool cupboard) for at least three days. Two weeks is the upper limit before the whites become too soft and the flavour turns musty.

Peel the eggs just before serving. The brine will have seeped through the cracks in the shell, creating a marbled pattern on the white. Halve each egg lengthways and scoop out the yolk. Mix the yolks with mustard, good oil, salt, and a grind of pepper to make a rough paste, then use it to fill the cavity in each white half. Top each with the original yolk and serve cold.