Sol Eyes

 

Makes a dozen servings

Sol Eyes
  • 1 dozen large eggs
  • 4 sprigs fresh dill
  • 4 shallots
  • 3 Tablespoons salt
  • 6 Tablespoons sugar
  • ⅔ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 quart water
  • 3 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 2 whole allspice berries
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon tumeric
  • about 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • balsamic glaze

Special equipment

2 quart-sized canning jars with lids

Method

Boil the eggs in water till cooked hard, maybe 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then peel. Stick 2 sprigs of dill in each jar, and then load each jar with 6 eggs.

Slice the shallots very thinly, and in a pot with the vinegar, water, spices, bay, and tumeric. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes.

Pour the brine in the jars, being careful to try to distribute the spices evenly. Screw on the lids (you're not sealing them), and refrigerate for a week, jiggling one daily to stir up the brine and make sure all sides of the eggs get color.

To serve, halve each egg; remove the hemisphere of yolk and squirt a dab of mustard into the well. Reinsert yolk half. Drizzle each with balsamic glaze before serving.

Notes

This is our interpretation of German pickled eggs, Soleier. Some recipes call for — yuck — juniper berries.