Soy-Marinated Oeufs Mayonnaise with Ginger Yuzu Aïoli

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Camille Becerra. Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Camille Becerra

Classic oeufs mayonnaise are an understated affair—delicate boiled eggs cloaked in creamy mayonnaise. These, on the other hand, are bursting with umami, marinated in tamari (Japanese soy sauce) and ginger and finished with trout roe and dollops of zippy yuzu aïoli. It’s no wonder there’s an order of this appetizer on nearly every table at Friends & Family Restaurant in Oakland, California, which generously shared the recipe.

Featured in “ Is This Two-Ingredient Recipe the ‘It’ Dish of 2024? ” by Anna Hezel.

Yield: 6 Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the eggs:

• 12 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3½ cups tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup finely grated ginger
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 large serrano chile, finely grated
• Shichimi togarashi, for serving
• Smoked trout roe, for serving

For the aïoli:

• ¼ plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 Tbsp. yuzu kosho
• ½ tsp. fine salt, plus more to taste
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• One 2-in. piece of ginger, finely grated
• 4 cups rice bran oil or grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. Make the eggs: Into a large pot of boiling water, gently lower the eggs. Bring the water back to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-high and simmer for exactly 8 minutes. Pour out the hot water and shake the pan to crack the eggshells. Fill the pot with cold water and ice and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the tamari, ginger, sugar, garlic, serrano chile, and 2½ cups of water. Peel the eggs and add them to the marinade. Refrigerate, turning the eggs every hour, until deep brown, about 3 hours.
3. Make the aïoli: In a food processor, blend the lemon juice, yuzu kosho, salt, egg yolks, garlic, ginger, and 2 tablespoons of ice water until pale yellow and doubled in volume, 2–3 minutes. With the machine running, very gradually add the oil until a thick sauce forms. Add water if the texture is too thick. Season with more salt and lemon juice to taste, and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a cutting board. (Reserve the leftover marinade for another batch of eggs or another use.) To serve, halve the eggs and divide them evenly, cut-side down, on six plates. Spoon evenly with the aïoli, dollop with the trout roe, and sprinkle with sichimi togarashi.