Taiwanese Soy Sauce Eggs (滷蛋）

 
 One of my favorite things to eat, especially tucked away in a Taiwanese bento box, is the soy sauce braised eggs (滷蛋). I usually save the braised egg for last in my bento, because I always feel so sad when the egg is gone! Whenever I order a Taiwanese bento and there is no braised egg, I will experience a brief  #$%@!*? episode and make a mental note to never order from this place again, because seriously, what kind of Taiwanese bento doesn't come with a braised egg?! Yet despite knowing how to make these eggs, I still like it when other people make it for me and all I have to do is eat (who doesn't?). Anyway, these eggs are extremely easy and the hardest part is probably needing a little bit of patience (or foresight to plan ahead), as the eggs need time to soak in the marinade for maximal flavor. No instant gratification. Many things in life are worth waiting for, and a flavorful soy sauce egg is definitely one of them!

INGREDIENTS

• 6 hard boil egg, shells removed
• 2 Chicken drumstick*
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 whole star anise pod**
• 2 Cloves garlic
• 2 Slices ginger
• 1 Stalk Green onions
• 2T dark brown sugar
• 2 cups Water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once the marinade is boiling, turn down the heat to a gentle boil and allow the water to evaporate off until liquid covers about half the egg. Make sure to stir the eggs around a few times during the gentle boiling process or they may stick to the bottom of the pot, which causes a hard spot to form. 
3. Turn off the heat and allow the eggs soak in the marinade for a minimum of 8 hours before eating. Rotate the eggs after 4-6 hours so that the top of the egg (which was not touching the marinade) gets to soak in the marinade as well. You will see that overtime the part of the egg that got soaked is a lot browner than the part that didn't get soaked. 
4. Enjoy warm or cold. I usually microwave the eggs for one minute on LOW power to heat. Using high power will cause the eggs to explode! Eggs can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes:
*You can also use other such as ground chicken/pork/beef, or pork. I like using chicken drumstick because the skin provides a little extra fat which adds flavor to the marinade.
**Star anise is an essential Taiwanese spice. They are readily available in the Chinese grocery. They are star shaped (with 8 horns), with the label 八角. You can also purchase them online.