oriental tea leaf eggs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 tablespoon black tea leaves
• 2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole star anise pods
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 slice fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon licorice root
• 1 piece dried mandarin orange peel
• 1 ounce chinese rock sugar
• 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/3 cup light-colored soy sauce
• 10 hard-cooked eggs

Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 45 mins

Ready Time: 2 hrs 55 mins


• place the tea, cinnamon, star anise, five-spice, cloves, ginger, peppercorns, licorice, orange peel, rock sugar, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce in a large saucepan. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 15 minutes. meanwhile, lightly tap the hard-cooked eggs to crack the shells all over. the soy sauce will penetrate the cracks, and color the egg white.
• place the eggs in the simmering liquid, and cook for 30 minutes, then remove from the heat, and let the eggs stand in the liquid for 2 hours off the heat. after 2 hours, drain the eggs, chill, and peel.