I have always loved soft-boiled eggs. They are my absolutely favorite way to eat eggs – they’re warm, soft and that runny yolk? Divine. My grandparents would make them for me whenever we stayed with them, because I did not like the hard boiled eggs they ate. Ick. I have since changed my tune, but soft boiled will always be my jam.

Then came my first bowl of Ramen. Real Ramen, not that plastic packet college dorm stuff. All that brothy noodley goodness topped off with a soft-boiled egg? My mind exploded. It was heaven. Most people order extra noodles or heat with their bowls. I order multiple eggs.

But! I had no idea what went into making them until I started researching and experimenting with the processes and ingredients. Who knew it took hours, nay, days for the eggs and yolks to reach that jammy consistency? Whew! But??? Well worth.the.wait.

They’re pretty simple to make, but fuss around with your own recipe until you reach the proportions your taste buds enjoy best. Basically its soy sauce, mirin (a type of rice wine) and broth. Some recipes call for sugar too but the mirin is sweet enough for me.

Recipe

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 4 tablespoons broth
• 6 eggs

Boil the eggs for 6 minutes, then place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. In a small bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients. Adjust to taste – if you like it slightly sweeter add a smidge more mirin, salty, a bit of soy sauce. Need to thin out the flavors? Add more broth. Its super versatile and hard to mess up!

Once your eggs have cooled, peel them and place in a plastic baggie big enough to hold 6 eggs. Pour in your marinade and twist so there’s no air. Secure with a clip if you have one. You want all the eggs covered top to bottom! This way they soak up alllll that yummy sauce. Place in the fridge for 24-48 hours to marinate. As they bathe in this yummy goodness, the sauce will penetrate into the eggs, effectively curing the yolk to create that velvety consistency, and season the egg whites at the same time.

When you’re ready to use, slice them lengthwise and dig in! Ramen optional, though highly encouraged.

Bon Appetit!