Dalgyaljang (Soy-Cured Egg Yolks) · Jeong Ho-yeong

Put 400 ml water, 150 ml jin-ganjang, 2 tbsp matsul, 2 tbsp cheongju and 2 tbsp sugar in a pan.

Boil on high for 4 minutes, until the sugar has completely dissolved — his figure.

💡 The boil is not just for dissolving sugar — it burns the alcohol off the matsul and cheongju. Skip it and the finished yolks carry a raw, spirituous edge that five hours will not remove.

Turn the heat OFF, add the 10 g of katsuobushi, and let it steep 10 minutes — his figure.

💡 Off the heat, always. Katsuobushi boiled rather than steeped goes sour and fishy instead of savoury — the same rule that governs a Japanese dashi, which is exactly where this move comes from.

Strain the katsuobushi out through a sieve and discard it.

Let the brine cool to room temperature — he calls for 한 김 식히기.

💡 Do not rush this. A warm brine will begin to cook the yolks the instant they go in, and you will find a skin has set on them by the time they are submerged.

Pour the cooled brine into an airtight container, wide enough that the yolks can sit in a single layer.

Separate the yolks his way: crack an egg into your cupped fingers and shake gently so the white runs through the gaps and the yolk stays sitting on your hand.

💡 Hands beat shell-to-shell every time here — a shell edge is sharp and it is what usually cuts the yolk. Work over a second bowl so a burst yolk costs you one egg, not the whole batch.

Lower each separated yolk into the brine, keeping them in one layer.

Cut a sheet of cling film to the size of the container.

Lay the film directly onto the surface so it touches the brine and the yolks, then press out any air pockets.

💡 Yolks float, and a floating yolk cures only on its underside and dries out on top. The film pressed onto the surface is what holds them under — it is doing a job, not covering the dish.

Cure 5 hours — his figure. His text does not say at what temperature, so the fridge is what we suggest: these are raw yolks, and 5 hours at room temperature is not a risk worth taking.

💡 The clock is not a suggestion. Under 5 hours the centre is still liquid; well over, the yolk turns dense and salty. Five is where it is spoonable at the edge and gelled through the middle.

Peel the film off and lift the yolks out with a spoon. Serve one on hot rice and break it with the spoon at the table.