The Momofuku soft egg — a 6-minute boiled egg, peeled, then marinated in a soy-mirin mixture for 1–4 hours — produces an egg with a barely-set white and a jammy, slightly fudgy yolk, its exterior seasoned throughout with the soy marinade. The technique applies Japanese seasoning logic (the soy marinade is osmotically absorbed into the outer layers of the white) to the same barely-set egg principle as onsen tamago (TJ-07).
- **The cook:** Eggs lowered into boiling water — exactly 6 minutes — then immediately into ice water. 6 minutes produces a set white with a soft, jammy yolk. [VERIFY] Chang's exact time specification. - **Peeling:** After ice bath — the cold contraction of the egg white separates it from the shell. - **The marinade:** Soy sauce, mirin, water — the egg placed in the marinade for 1–4 hours. 1 hour: barely seasoned exterior. 4 hours: the soy has penetrated through the entire white, producing a deeply flavoured, slightly brown exterior. - **The yolk:** Still jammy and rich after the marinade — the soy does not penetrate the yolk's higher-fat environment significantly.
Momofuku