Tamari Cured & Confit Yolks Over Crispy Rice

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks (carefully separated)
• 0.75 cup tamari (can substitute with soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 inch kombu (strip)
• 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
• chives (for garnish)
• flaky sea salt (to taste)
• lemon zest (for garnish)
• 1 cup sushi rice (cooked calrose rice seasoned with 2 tbsp rice vinegar, pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp sugar)
• olive oil (enough to cover yolks for confit and for frying)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the egg yolks carefully to a container with the tamari, kombu, and mirin.

2. 2

   Cover the container and let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours.

3. 3

   Flip the yolks carefully, cover, and cure for 2 more hours (4 hours total for jammy yolks).

4. 4

   Press the seasoned sushi rice into a container and place it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes to firm up.

5. 5

   Transfer the cured yolks to a small oven-safe dish and cover them completely with olive oil.

6. 6

   Cover the dish with foil and place it into a larger oven-safe dish filled with hot water to create a bain-marie.

7. 7

   Bake at 170°F (77°C) for 10 minutes, then turn the oven off and let the yolks sit inside for another 12-15 minutes.

8. 8

   Remove the rice from the freezer and cut it into squares.

9. 9

   Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet and fry the rice squares until golden brown and crispy on both sides.

10. 10

    In the same skillet, fry the sliced shallots until they are crispy.

11. 11

    Assemble by topping each crispy rice square with a confit yolk, lemon zest, chives, crispy shallots, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Notes

The author notes that curing for 4 hours results in a 'jammier' yolk; you can cure them longer for a firmer texture. Tamari can be replaced with soy sauce if needed.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• snack
• gluten-free
• fusion
• egg yolks
• crispy rice
• confit