You probably haven’t yet heard of Salted Egg Yolk Sauce, but it’s already made its way into Asian supermarkets, and it’s a sensation waiting to happen stateside.
Salted duck eggs are already trendy and beloved in China, and especially in Singapore.
It’s a brand new food item on the sauce shelf (perhaps the most fun and exciting shelf at any Chinese grocery store). If you live near a large, well-stocked Asian grocer, pay attention next time you’re in that aisle.
Today, however, we’re making it from scratch!
The Trendiest Ingredient
Salted duck egg yolks are hitting a fever pitch in popularity today, but they’ve been around for centuries.
The irresistibly salty, rich umami flavor lends itself well to so many uses, and today’s restaurant chefs are latching onto people’s love for them. They’re not just using them whole, they’re also using it as a condiment in sauce or paste form.
In Asia, it seems like anything made with salted duck egg yolks quickly becomes a hit!
If you’ve never heard of salted duck eggs, check out our salted duck egg recipe to see how they’re made.
What is Salted Egg Yolk Sauce?
This sauce is a unique preparation. Traditionally, salted duck egg yolks are used in their whole form, like in zongzi rice dumplings and mooncakes.
Salted duck egg yolk sauce, however, is a versatile ingredient you may find in batters for fried foods (salted duck egg pumpkin fries are a popular menu item in China), marinades, stir-fries (stir-fried potatoes with duck egg yolk is a common combination), fried rice, congee, and baked goods (from traditional buns to croissants!).
The list goes on and on! I wasn’t all too surprised to see this sauce finally making its way into convenient jars, sold just like a jar of chili oil.
What Recipes Use Salted Duck Egg Yolk Sauce?
Now that we’ve made our own sauce at home, it’s waiting and ready to go in the refrigerator. I’m currently in the process of working on recipes that use this sauce. Don’t worry! I’ll share them in the coming weeks.
As for easy use cases, this salted egg yolk sauce can be used as a jam on toast or mantou, or drizzled like chili oil over fried rice or noodles. A spoonful into a stir-fry adds wild amounts of umami and egg flavor.
A Homemade Luxury
Salted duck egg yolk sauce is liquid gold in every sense of the word—color, taste and price.
A jar can set you back around $15.00 from your local Asian supermarket and much higher online.
In this case, it really makes sense ($$$) to make your own, and the steps are pretty straightforward.
You’ll need pre-cooked salted duck egg yolks for this recipe, but if you have homemade raw salted duck egg yolks, we have instructions for those as well.
Let’s start!
Recipe Instructions
Lay out the cooked salted duck egg yolks evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using cooked salted duck yolks sold in vacuum-sealed packages is the most economical option.
Bake for 10 minutes, until they begin to release oil. Cool completely.
If you are using homemade, raw salted duck egg yolks, crack open the eggs and remove the yolks. Under a gentle stream of water, rinse the yolks clean of any white. Roll each yolk in 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or Baijiu (Chinese hard liquor) if you have it. Lay them out on a baking sheet and bake them at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until they start to release oil. Cool completely.
Transfer the yolks to a food processor, and pulse until they have a very fine, powder-like consistency.
Add the oil, sugar, salt, and powdered yolks to a nonstick pan set over medium/low heat. Stir and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling very slightly around the perimeter of the pan. Do not use high heat, or the sauce may burn.
Cool, and store in a clean, air-tight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 1 month as long as you use a clean utensil to scoop out what you need each time. (Cross contamination shortens the shelf life of anything).
Salted Egg Yolk Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 salted duck egg yolks (12 egg yolks = about 6 ounces/170g)
- 1/3 cup oil (such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or light olive oil)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, or to taste; we use sea salt)
Instructions
- Lay out the cooked salted duck egg yolks evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using cooked salted duck yolks sold in vacuum-sealed packages is the most economical option. Bake for 10 minutes, until they begin to release oil. Cool completely.
- If you are using homemade, raw salted duck egg yolks, crack open the eggs and remove the yolks. Under a gentle stream of water, rinse the yolks clean of any white. Roll each yolk in 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or Baijiu (Chinese hard liquor) if you have it. Lay them out on a baking sheet and bake them at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until they start to release oil. Cool completely.
- Transfer the yolks to a food processor, and pulse until they have a very fine, powder-like consistency.
- Add the oil, sugar, salt (if using), and powdered yolks to a nonstick pan set over medium/low heat. Stir and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling very slightly around the perimeter of the pan. Do not use high heat, or the sauce may burn.
- Cool, and store in a clean, air-tight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 1 month as long as you use a clean utensil to scoop out what you need each time. (Cross contamination shortens the shelf life of anything).
