Home-Style Braised Eggs (Lǔ Dàn)

卤蛋

Home-Style Braised Eggs (Lǔ Dàn) — a Chinese recipe made with large eggs, star anise, ready in about 45 minutes. Step-by-step instructions with photos.

Ingredients

• large eggs
• light soy sauce
• dark soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• star anise
• ginger

Instructions

1. Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 2.5 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit 10 minutes.
2. Drain and cool eggs under cold running water for 2 minutes. Gently tap each egg all over with a spoon to create fine cracks — do not peel.
3. In a small pot, combine light soy, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, star anise, ginger, and 500 ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
4. Add cracked eggs. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 25 minutes — gently turn eggs every 8 minutes.
5. Turn off heat. Let eggs steep in hot broth for at least 15 minutes before serving — longer steeping yields deeper marbling.