My father always blamed me that I always did things incomplete when I was young, fresh and wild. He had no ideas when I would be settled down and took somethings more serious instead. I've been a very sensible person, so I always live with how I feel in that day. I didn't really know what I liked ? What I really wanted ? What I could do? But, I did have that unbeatable motivation by just kept trying. That's why I could understand myself better in my own personality and abilities.
I started managing the basic money matters after married, had discovering the great responsibility to be a mom. Especially, my husband was busy at work, and I was taking these three little kids without not much help in this new country at that time. Being a mom, I just got to be strong. Whatever things that I like it or not, nor I could be qualify to do it or not. I have to conquer it one by one. My temper has been changed a lots and being more nicer after those years. I had been getting more patient too. These experiences is pretty much like I really want to get these Iron Buddha smoked eggs right with confidence. But you have no ideas how many researchers and practices that I've been go through. I guess only my kids know that. " God, my mom is playing with eggs, again " ..... Ha !!!
It is just an egg, but why I get so many methods, cook with cold or hot water ? How long it needs to be cooked? How long to smoke it right ? These were all became my homework. I'm glad I finally nailed it, solved my puzzles and share this with you guys.
1. 12 eggs, room temperature which can avoid the cracks from temperature rapidly changing.
2. Prepare a steam pot, or just like me place a steam rack in the pot with lid. * I prefer steam than cook in the water, better control in the steady temperature.
3. 1 zip bag.
4. 1/4 cup of regular soy sauce for saltiness, plus 1/4 cup of dark soy sauce for color.
5. 1/4 cup of flour plus 1/4 cup of light brown sugar and 1 Iron Buddha tea bag, crushed the leaves well, then opened.
Steam eggs:
Prepare a steam pot, pour water in the bottom, water shouldn't over the steam rack, cover with lid, bring to boil. For the safety issues, turn heat to low, place in all the eggs. Cover with lid quick, use high heat again, set the timer 5 minutes. Take eggs out right away after 5 minutes later, place in the cold water and rinsed them cold.
Peel eggs:
First, crack the air cell at the round bottom part of egg, then crack the pointed part of egg. Soak these eggs in the cold water, let cold water run through egg and completely cool it down. These eggs will get harder and easier to manage.
Then, keep rolling the egg and gently crack the shell. Start peeling the egg shell with the air cell from the round bottom part of egg. Then keep turning and peel the egg shell with egg membrane. It will be very easy to do so. You got to treat these medium soft cooked eggs with gentle hands, remember to use the side of thumb to peel egg shell, not nail. These way will prevent the ugly looks.
* For the fully cooked eggs, you can totally crack the whole egg after you cool them down in the cold water. Then, give it a little pressure and rolling on the hard table surface. Egg shell would be separated to two parts, easy to removed.
Marinate eggs:
Place these eggs with regular and dark soy sauce in the plastic bag, keep in the refrigerator about 24 hours. These eggs will get the nice color and good amount of saltiness.
*How long the food has been soaking is the sauce. It the main reason to decide the color and flavor. Heat is the second element. If the sauce carry too much grease on top of sauce, food can't not soak within sauce. Food will be hard to get all the flavors.
Smoked eggs:
Apply the heavy duty foil papers on the bottom of pan, goes in flour, light brown sugar, then Iron Buddha leaves. Place in the steam rack, eggs, cover with lids tight. High heat to smoke. If lid has a hole, use the wet paper towel to block it away. The great chef says, keep eggs stay in the pan till the yellow smoke coming out. It's about 10 minutes, you will get that mild tea aromatic form my experiences.
Kill the heat, shack the pan, make sure all the eggs are evenly smocked. Wait about 2 minutes, when all the smoke reduced. Now, the smoky flavor will be fully remained.
Take all these eggs out on the cooling plates. It taste even better when it is cold from refrigerator, easier to have nice look after you slice it opened.
*Why I use Iron Buddha tea leaves ? Because Iron Buddha tea leaves' flavor are bright, but not overwhelming. Of course you can try somethings else, Woo long tea is more mild, coffee are fine too !!!
These Iron Buddha Smoked Eggs are very hard to resist just have one. The egg white is soft and tender when you first bite into it. Then, the yolk runs out as rich cream sauce. Your mouth will fulfill that tea's fragrance after you swallow the egg. My hubby says, " he wants nothing else after he had these eggs " . These eggs are seriously attach to my soul and even make me dream about it. I'm not joking around ! ~
Happy Easter my friends ! ~
年少輕狂時, 老爸總是說我做事有頭無尾. 不知什麼時候我這個人才能定下心來正經的做點事. 而我一直是位很感性的人, 所以也很隨意的在過日子. 年輕的時候不知道自己真正喜歡什麼, 想做什麼, 又可以做些什麼. 唯有一股不怕死的衝勁, 不斷的去嘗試. 還好現今也才能真正的了解到自己的個性以及能力.
結了婚之後開始學習金錢的基本認知與管理, 有了孩子後才發現當娘的責任重大. 尤其是在異鄉無人幫忙, 老公忙於工作, 而我一個人帶著三個孩子長大. 為母則強, 不管愛與不愛做的事情, 或是自己可否勝任的問題, 都得一一克服. 這些年來脾氣也被磨合了不少, 更添增了許多的耐力. 這就像要讓心底踏實的搞清楚這些鐵觀音燻蛋的做法, 就不知道做了多少的資料查詢和反覆的實驗. 這也只有我的家人知道吧！" 天啊! ~ 媽媽又再玩蛋了" ..... 哈哈哈!!!
光煮個蛋就有著一大堆的説法, 冷水或熱水煮蛋? 煮多久? 如何快速去殻? 滷多久? 燻多久? 這些全成了我的功課. 我很開心終於捉到重點了, 替自己解除心底的那份迷惑, 而且能與你分享.
材料:
1. 12顆蛋, 必須是室溫的. *省去了下鍋後太大的溫差而導致破裂的麻煩.
2. 準備一蒸鍋, 或像我一樣放個蒸架在有蓋子的鍋中即可. * 我喜歡用蒸的代替水煮, 因為溫度較穩定, 相對的時間也容易控制.
3. 1 只塑膠袋.
4. 1/4杯的醬油(生抽)鹹味+ 1/4杯的老抽, 做色用的.
5. 1/4杯的麵粉+1/4 杯的紅砂糖+ 一包鐵觀音的茶葉包捏碎拆開.
煮蛋:
準備好蒸鍋, 鍋底放入冷水, 但勿超過蒸架, 蓋上鍋蓋大火煮滾水. 安全起見, 改小火掀鍋蓋入蛋. 迅速蓋回鍋蓋, 改回大火, 設定時間蒸5分鐘. 5分鐘後熄火. 即刻取出這些蛋, 入冷水中沖凉.
剝蛋殼:
首先在桌面敲碎蛋的圓滑底部氣室, 然後蛋的尖頭上方. 浸泡冷水, 讓冷水進入蛋身變涼後, 蛋就會變硬些, 容易操作. 然後滾著蛋再輕敲蛋身, 由蛋的氣室圓滑底部順著繞圈子, 褪去薄膜, 蛋殻便很容易剝落了. 當你剝這些軟的溏心蛋殼, 手得輕巧些. 記得使用的是側姆指的肉來剝殻, 切記用指甲, 否則易顯蒼疤像.
*全熟蛋冲涼後則可一次性敲裂上下及蛋身, 浸冷水然後直接在桌上躺平, 稍微施加壓力滾動. 蛋殻則容易一分為二, 快速除去外殼.
醃蛋:
塑膠袋入醬油及老抽, 浸泡蛋約24小時於冰箱冷藏, 鹹度與顏色就都有了.
* 決定鹹度和顏色的主要因素是"浸泡時間". 加熱是其次的原因. 若是滷汁含太多的油脂在於滷汁上方, 蛋僅接觸到油而不是汁液則無法上色入味.
燻蛋:
鍋底鋪上厚的錫萡紙, 先入麵粉, 紅砂糖, 然後鐵觀音碎茶葉. 放入蒸架, 蛋, 鍋蓋緊了, 開大火燻. 鍋蓋上有洞的, 放個溼的餐巾紙塞住. 老師傅說, 燻至黃煙出現即可. 我算約10分鐘的時間就可以有著淡淡的茶香. 熄火, 靜待2分鐘, 搖晃一下鍋子確認所有的蛋都充分受到燻製了. 等待煙褪去之後才能開鍋, 香氣才會十足的停留在蛋上.
取出在冷盤中待涼, 冷藏後的風味比熱的時候更鮮明, 也容易切剖完整.
*為何是鐵觀音茶葉呢？因為它的味道鮮明獨特卻不搶味, 當然你也可以試試其它的茶葉. 烏龍茶比較溫和, 咖啡也行 !!!
這些鐵觀音燻蛋很難只吃一個便止住. 咬下的蛋白口感軟嫩嫩的, 蛋黃滑出像是濃郁的醬汁, 嚥下那一口後, 嘴裏留的是滿嘴的燻茶香. 老公說, " 吃了這個鐡觀音燻蛋, 其它的食物都不想要了" . 它就是那麼的魂繫夢牽般的迷人呀, 我可是認真的喔! ~
我的朋友們, 復活節快樂 ! ~
