A tasty, savory snack

Published 5:30 am Thursday, July 16, 2026

I was taught in culinary school that every fold of a chef’s toque represents an egg dish they have mastered. An entire week of school was dedicated exclusively to the endlessly useful culinary superstar we probably all have in our kitchens right now. The final exam for “Egg Week” was to serve our chef one fried egg over easy, one soft poached, one scrambled, and one hard-boiled, all served at once, hot and perfect. I got lucky and passed on my first go, but some classmates were stuck on this challenge for days, and no aspiring chef could continue in the program until this task was performed adequately enough to satisfy our notoriously fussy namesake.

I eat eggs almost every day. Soft poached is my favorite to be served, scrambled is my favorite to cook, and baked in a custard, they are my greatest culinary foe. They can be an appetizer, entrée, side dish, or dessert, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

They can be the star ingredient or an invisible component, they can be sweet or savory or sour or spicy or salty, and they pair with almost anything with the right accentuating flavors.

One of my favorite ways to eat them is a Korean preparation (surprise, surprise), facetiously named “drug eggs” because they are so good you will become hopelessly addicted. This dish can be served as banchan (side dish), over rice with crushed seaweed paper, kimchi, and sesame oil for breakfast, or simply as a snack, which is why I like to keep them in the refrigerator.

This preparation is most delicious when the eggs are boiled for 8 minutes, resulting in a softer, “jammy” egg.

However, softer boiled eggs do not keep for as long as hard boiled, so if you plan to make more than what you will eat in a day or two, I suggest opting for the 10 minute, hard boiled preparation, so you can keep them for as long as a week. I like mine spicy, but if you can’t stand the heat, omit the red pepper powder and serrano peppers. Want them a little sweeter? Add some honey or a couple tablespoons of brown sugar for a “teriyaki” inspired version. Either way, if you try them, I’m sure you’ll become an egg junkie just like me.

Ingredients for eight eggs:

½ cup soy sauce (reduced sodium is fine)

2 cups water

2 large garlic cloves, minced

½ large white onion, thinly sliced

½ tsp honey

2 stalks green onion, roughly chopped

2 serrano peppers, roughly chopped (optional)

1 Tbsp Korean red pepper powder (optional)

Directions:

Put plenty of water on to boil your eggs. You can add a splash of white vinegar to the water to help the peels come of easier, but if your eggs are fresh, it wont be necessary.

When the water is boiling, drop the heat and gently drop the eggs in one at a time. When all the eggs are in the water, set a timer for 10 minutes and turn the heat back up until the pot is bubbling but not rolling. You want the boil to be gentle, so the eggs don’t crack.

After 10 minutes, transfer the eggs immediately to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Peel them while they are still warm for best results.

In a saucepan combine the water, soy sauce, honey, and red pepper powder, if using, bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Layer the peeled eggs and sliced/chopped vegetables in a container with a lid- glass or metal is best.

Pour the broth over the eggs while it is still hot, allow the dish to cool uncovered until room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight before serving.