Onsen tamago is a Japanese tradition of cooking eggs in their shells at low temperatures in hot springs. This home version simply uses a teapot and a kitchen towel to create a warm bath for the eggs. The result: a luxurious, silken texture throughout the whole egg, transforming the humble poached egg into a delicacy to be enjoyed on its own, or to sit atop a side dish of mushrooms or grilled asparagus, or to accompany a salad as a luscious, rich sauce.
2 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: A ceramic or porcelain teapot or small, heat-retaining vessel with a lid.
2 large, ultra-fresh eggs, free-range and organic, at room temperature
1. Preheat the teapot: Fill it with boiling water and let it sit for several minutes.
2. Empty the teapot. With a spoon, gently lower the eggs, intact in their shells, into the teapot, being careful not to crack the shells.
3. In a saucepan or kettle, bring 1 quart (1 l) water to a boil. Remove from the heat, wait for 2 minutes, then pour the water over the eggs in the teapot. Cover with the lid and wrap with a thick kitchen towel to help retain the heat.
4. Leave the eggs in the hot water for 16 to 17 minutes. (Note that this time may vary depending on how well the teapot is able to retain heat.)
5. Remove the eggs from the teapot. Rinse them briefly under cold water, then crack the shells, separating each side with your thumbs as you would an uncooked egg. The eggs will emerge in the form of a poached egg, but both the whites and yolks will have an almost creamy, silken texture.