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Mayak gyeran
Marinated soft-boiled eggs
Mayak gyeran (마약계란): jammy soft-boiled eggs marinated in soy, garlic, chilli and spring onion
The name means "addictive eggs", and these soy-marinated eggs with their soft, fudgy yolks went viral in Seoul before landing in lunchboxes across Korea; one egg on a bowl of rice is a whole dosirak. The marinade is loaded with garlic, chilli and spring onion, and is spooned over the rice too. The common mistake is peeling the eggs warm, which tears the soft whites; chill them in iced water first. They need at least 6 hours in the fridge. For pregnant women, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system, boil the eggs for 10 minutes until fully set. Chef's tip: start the eggs straight from the fridge into boiling water and time them exactly, so every yolk sets the same way.
- Total time
- 22 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the eggs
- 6 eggsstraight from the fridge
For the marinade
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp sugaror rice syrup
- 3 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 1 red chillifinely chopped
- 2 spring onionsfinely chopped
- ¼ onionfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup water and 2 tbsp sugar in a lidded container until the sugar dissolves. Stir in 3 garlic cloves, 1 green chilli, 1 red chilli, 2 spring onions, ¼ onion and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.
Step 2: Lower 6 eggs gently into a pan of boiling water and boil for 6½ minutes for jammy yolks, stirring for the first minute to centre them. For fully set yolks, boil for 10 minutes.
7 minStep 3: Lift into iced water and leave for 5 minutes, until cold right through. Peel carefully under running water.
5 minStep 4: Put the eggs in the marinade, making sure they are covered (use a smaller container if not). Chill for at least 6 hours, turning once.
Step 5: Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Pack an egg halved over rice with a spoon of the marinade, and keep the lunchbox cold with an ice pack.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mayak gyeran take?
- About 22 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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