# "Curing" a raw egg yolk is a foodie thing. I had never heard of this ... ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568 "2014-04-07T17:50:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/1 "2014-04-07T17:50:51Z")
Process described in this article. Looks like it might be worth trying. Any dopers do this? [Yolking Around: Why Boston Chefs Are Curing Their Egg Yolks](http://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/article/2014/03/25/curing-egg-yolks/) > [@](#): > > The over-easies crowning our burgers, pasta, and even salads are proof that the “put an egg on it” trend hasn’t gone anywhere in recent years. It has, however, found a way to evolve. In a quest to diversify the egg’s utility and texture, chefs around town have taken to curing yolks by encasing them in a bed of salt (or a salt-sugar blend) for a few days, then dehydrating them until they attain a raisin-y exterior and a more-concentrated taste. “They literally burst in your mouth with really intense, beautiful egg flavor,” says Harvest chef Mary Dumont, who garnishes her English-pea agnolotti with grated curls of cured yolk. Scott Jones—who will bring the technique to Menton when he starts as chef de cuisine this month—agrees. “It almost tastes like cheese, without the funk that cheese brings,” he says. Incredible, indeed ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/2 "2014-04-07T18:04:37Z")
[Procedure with pics found here](http://silphiumfood.com/recipes/cured-egg-yolk/) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/3 "2014-04-07T18:23:16Z")
Sounds delicious. I’ll have to read the details later. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/4 "2014-04-07T18:27:30Z")
I didn’t realize eggs were a disease. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/5 "2014-04-07T18:41:37Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I didn’t realize eggs were a disease. 😃 So is ham. Never has being sick been so delicious. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/6 "2014-04-07T20:21:12Z")
I wonder what happens if you use pink salt? ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/7 "2014-04-08T15:33:35Z")
Hmm, there is a Chinese version of this, a [salted duck egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salted_duck_egg) (as opposed to the [1000 year old egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg)), so it doesn’t seem that new to me. Slightly fancier, since they separate out the yolk instead of just brining the entire egg, and grate it finely instead of just cooking it with vegetables or other foods, but nearly the same effect. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/8 "2014-04-08T15:44:05Z")
> [@Aestivalis](#): > > Hmm, there is a Chinese version of this, a [salted duck egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salted_duck_egg) (as opposed to the [1000 year old egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg)), so it doesn’t seem that new to me. Slightly fancier, since they separate out the yolk instead of just brining the entire egg, and grate it finely instead of just cooking it with vegetables or other foods, but nearly the same effect. It would seem to me that, while both are cured, they are quite different, with the salted duck egg being cured in shell, hard-boiled, and then eaten, while the cured egg yolk is cured out of the shell, dried, then grated (raw) over your meal. I’d expect the flavors and texture of the end result to be fairly distinct in both cases. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/9 "2014-04-08T18:40:43Z")
I really want to try some…but I don’t really want to go through the process. Story of my life. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/10 "2014-04-09T04:03:46Z")
Hmmm, we have 5 chickens. I’m gonna have to try this soon… ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/11 "2014-04-09T21:29:49Z")
Take the shell off a raw egg by submerging it in vinegar overnight. Rinse off the softened shell, put the egg in a bowl and cover it in corn syrup. The whole egg will dehydrate overnight. Rinse off the now diluted corn syrup, snip open the egg with scissors and fry it. Let me know how it works out!!😃 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/12 "2014-04-16T04:30:09Z")
Testing out with two organic egg yolks from my chickens. It’s day two with those yolks covered in kosher salt and some rock salt on top in a sealed jar in the fridge. firmed up a lot in the first 24 hours. We’ll see how these bad boys turn out. Probably meh but might be surprisingly great. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/13 "2014-04-16T13:07:18Z")
Cheese brings funk? ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/14 "2014-04-16T18:43:57Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Cheese brings funk? Who would have guessed that “funky” and “cheesy” are synonyms? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/15 "2014-04-16T18:51:38Z")
I have a question about food safety. I currently have one egg yolk curing in a ramekin in the fridge. If, after I’ve satisfactorily cured it, I were to place another yolk in the salt and do it again, am I creating a health risk? By itself, salt isn’t going to grow anything nasty but I assume over the next few days it will begin to absorb liquid from the egg. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/16 "2014-04-17T19:25:25Z")
I would personally change out the salt and clean the ramekin, salt is relatively inexpensive (unless you’re an Ancient Roman) and it would be zero effort. Why an Ancient Roman has access to the Internet I’ll leave someone else to speculate on. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/17 "2014-04-17T19:54:11Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I would personally change out the salt and clean the ramekin, salt is relatively inexpensive (unless you’re an Ancient Roman) and it would be zero effort. Why an Ancient Roman has access to the Internet I’ll leave someone else to speculate on. Vampire. D’uh! StG ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/18 "2014-04-17T22:21:19Z")
This cured egg and Astro’s link are very interesting. I’ve never heard of this either, but predict that it will appear in many restaurants due to the inexpensiveness of eggs, and the ease of preparation. I toss out many yolks attempting to reduce our intake of cholesterol, but I may work at curing a few. Thanks for posting this. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/19 "2014-04-17T22:47:53Z")
Wow, I gotta try this ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curing-a-raw-egg-yolk-is-a-foodie-thing-i-had-never-heard-of-this-ever/685568/20 "2014-04-19T02:54:53Z")
My yolks are getting pretty firm. Just poked 'em for fun and not much give. Interesting