Salted Egg Sauce

Ingredients

With just 4 ingredients, you can make your own salted egg yolk sauce that you can use to add more flavor for other dishes. Check the recipe card below for the full measurement and printable recipe.

• Salted egg yolk: Salted duck eggs are widely available in Asian stores abroad. You can find them in the refrigerated section. Cooked and raw salted eggs are readily available in stores depending on your preference. I opt for cooked eggs for convenience. You can use the egg white to make egg mushroom fried rice or garlic fried rice since we are just going to use the yolks. If you are using raw salted eggs, steam the eggs for a few minutes or until they begin to release oil.
• Butter: Unsalted butter will add richness to your sauce. You can use margarine or cooking oil as a substitute for butter it's not available.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds depth flavor and aroma. Who doesn't love garlic anyway? Skip if you don't care for it.
• Sugar: A little bit of sugar will balance the saltiness of the egg yolk.

Instructions

If you are using a whole salted duck egg, peel the egg and separate the egg yolk in a mixing bowl. Mash it using a fork. You can also use a food processor to pulse them until they have a very fine, powder-like consistency. 

In a skillet, add the butter and minced garlic together. Cook the garlic in low to medium heat or until aromatic but be careful because it tends to burn faster when using a butter.

Add the prepared salted egg into the skillet with a spoonful of sugar. Stir to combine and let the sauce cook until warm thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your taste. Now it is ready to make more dishes using your salted egg yolk sauce made from scratch.

Helpful Tips

• Use cooked salted eggs for your convenience.
• You can use a food processor to pulse them instead of mashing them with a fork can result in a very fine, powder-like consistency. 
• If you want thin sauce, adding a splash of fresh or evaporated milk, or heavy whipping cream with the egg yolk can help thin the sauce and add flavor. It still delicious without them.
• If the sauce is too salty, you can add a bit more sugar to balance it out.
• Store this condiment in a glass jar or container with a lid in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
• Make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes or fresh red pepper to the dish. My son can't tolerate the spiciness yet so I skip it.

About Salted Egg Sauce

The base of salted egg sauce is made from preserved salted duck eggs. The eggs are soaked in a salty brine for over a month, which cures the egg yolk while keeping the white from becoming rotten. The cured egg yolk takes on a bright orange color and develops a concentrated salty flavor and creamy texture.

While salted egg sauce originated in Chinese cuisine, it has made its way into mainstream Southeast Asian condiments. In Singapore, McDonald's offers salted egg sauce dipping sauce for chicken nuggets. Malaysian bak kwan restaurants often serve salted chicken wings dripping with sweet salted egg sauce. The Philippines has also embraced the sauce for dishes like salted egg squid, salted tomato egg salad, salted egg pasta, and salted egg potato chips.

Sweet, salty, and umami all in one bite. As salted egg sauce continues its global popularity, we can't wait to see how different cultures incorporate it into their local specialties.