Serves: 8
Total Calories: 47

8 to 10 eggs
water to cover
3 tablespoons black tea
1 tablespoon salt

1. Place eggs in cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently 12 to 15 minutes. Reserve the water.

2. Cool eggs thoroughly under cold running water for 5 minutes. Then either roll each egg gently on a board or table, or tap lightly with a spoon to crackle the entire shell. (Do not remove shell.)

3. Bring the reserved water to a boil again. (There should be 3 to 4 cups. If not, add more water.) Add tea leaves, salt, and crackled eggs then simmer, covered, until egg shells turn brown (about 1 hour).

4. Turn off the heat and let eggs stand, covered, 30 minutes more.

5. Drain eggs, then cool and shell. Serve either cut in half lengthwise or quartered.

NOTE: Crackling the egg shells permits the tea liquid to seep through and flavor the eggs, while at the same time marbling them and creating an effect somewhat like antique porcelain. Some cooks like to let the unshelled eggs stand overnight at room temperature in the tea liquid. (If refrigerated in the liquid, they will keep several days. They taste best, however, on the first and second days.) Tea eggs are sometimes eaten at lunch and dinner, but more often at breakfast or as a snack. They're also excellent for picnics and should be left in their shells (which keep the eggs moist) until actually ready to eat.

VARIATIONS:
* For the black tea, substitute either jasmine or lichee tea.
* For the salt, substitute 1/2 cup rock sugar.
* In step 3, also add any of the following:
1 piece tangerine peel (soaked)
4 cloves star anise or 1 teaspoon ground anise
1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 cinnamon stick

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 47
Calories from Fat: 27

More Recipes from the Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook Cookbook:
*Egg Dishes
Basic Deep-Fried Egg Foo Yung
Basic Egg Pudding
Basic Omelet
Basic Omelet with Variations
Basic Pan-Fried Egg Foo Yung
Basic Pan-Fried or Deep-Fried Egg Foo Yung: Combinations
Basic Steamed Eggs
Basic Steamed Eggs: Ingredients
Basic Stirred Eggs
Basic Stirred Eggs with Variations
Basic Stuffed Omelets
Chicken Soufflé
Coin Purse Eggs
Crabmeat Soufflé I
Crabmeat Soufflé II
Deep-Fried Coated Eggs
Deep-Fried Eggs And Vegetables
Egg Pouch Omelets
Egg Pouch Omelets: Filling
Egg Pudding With Dried Scallops
Fish Soufflé
Fried Eggs With Soy Sauce
Ham Egg Foo Yung
Hard-Boiled Salt Eggs
Iron Pot Eggs
Oyster Omelet
Oyster Pancakes
Pork And Shrimp Egg Foo Yung
Roast Pork Egg Foo Yung
Shark's Fin Omelet I
Shark's Fin Omelet II
Shrimp And Bean Sprout Soufflé
Shrimp Pancakes
Shrimp Soufflé
Soy Duck Eggs
Soy Eggs
Steamed Eggs And Fish Fillets
Steamed Eggs And Stir-Fried Pork
Steamed Eggs With Clams in their Shells
Steamed Eggs With Whole Lobster
Steamed Gold-and-Silver Eggs
Steamed Omelet Rolls
Steamed Preserved Eggs
Steamed Three-Kinds-of-Eggs
Stirred Eggs And Fish
Stirred Eggs And Pork I
Stirred Eggs And Pork II
Stirred Eggs And Pork III
Stirred Eggs With Pork And Shrimp
Stirred Eggs With Pork And Vermicelli
Stuffed Eggs: Hard-Boiled, Steamed and Deep-Fried
Stuffed Omelet: Pork Filling
Stuffed Omelet: Shrimp Filling
Sweet-and-Pungent Preserved Eggs
Tea Eggs
Vegetable Soufflé