KitchenNippon

【Ingredients】(4 Servings)
Eggs (卵 / Tamago)……３

Egg Yolk Seasonings
Sugar (砂糖 / Satōh)……2tbsp
Salt kōji (塩麹 / Shio kōji) ……1/2tsp
Egg White Seasonings
Sugar (砂糖 / Satōh)……1tbsp
Salt kōji (塩麹 / Shio kōji) ……1/2tsp
Katakuri flour (片栗粉 / Katakuriko)……1tsp

Decoration
Black soy beans (黒豆 / Kuromame)……8 (Cooked and sweetened beans)

【How to Make】
① Place the eggs into a pot, add enough water to cover the eggs, add a dash of vinegar, and then place the pot on high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce to low heat and boil for another 13 minutes. At the end of 13 minutes, cool the eggs under cold water until they are warm and no longer too hot to handle. While the eggs are still warm, peel them and separate the whites and yolks.
② Press both the whites and yolks through a strainer. Do the whites first to avoid having to wash the strainer in the middle of this step. A food processor can also be used.
③ Add the sugar and shio kōji to the yolks and mix until smooth. Add the sugar and shio kōji to the whites, mix and then wait for 2-3 minutes. Now, gently press a paper towel down onto the top of the mixture to absorb excess water. Add the katakuri flour and mix.
＊ Line a plastic container with plastic wrap. Add the egg whites and spread evenly. Add the yolks on top of the whites and spread evenly. Cover the plastic container with plastic wrap and heat in a microwave oven for 1 minute. Remove the container from the microwave and allow it to cool.*1 Once the yolks and whites have cooled to room temperature remove them together with the wrap from the container. Cut into 8 equal portions and place a black bean on top of each.

*1 If you don’t have a suitable plastic container you can use plastic wrap. To do this, divide the yolks and whites into 8 equal portions, and add one of each to a section of plastic wrap. Bring the edges of the wrap together and twist them up to make each serving into a ball. Secure the wrap to keep it from unwrapping, and then heat and cool as described above. Remove the wrap and place a black bean on top of each ball.

【Significance as Osechi Ryori】

Nishiki Tamago (錦卵 or にしきたまご)
With yellow and white seen as representing gold and silver, nishiki tamago is often include among osechi dishes, which are prepared to celebrate the New Year holiday. The idea of “two colors” can be expressed with the word “nishiki” in Japanese and a homonym written with the Chinese character “錦” is used to mean brocade (a decorative woven cloth) and, more generally, something beautiful. The latter definition has helped to secure nishiki tamago’s place among osechi dishes.