miso-cured quail eggs

The earliest tsukemono (Japanese pickles) are believed to have been made with miso. The simple process, known as misozuke, involves embedding food in a bed of miso and allowing it to cure for at least 3 months. The most prized misozuke are cured for a year or more.   

Over the last several weeks, I've been curing a variety of plants and proteins in miso. My spare refrigerator is full of misozuke— bananas, apples, dried apricots and tomatoes, garlic, daikon, pumpkin, shiso leaves, kombu, bacon, pork skin and fatback, beef marrow, lamb breast, parmesan, gouda, and more. Though it'll be a few months before they're ready, I'm currently enjoying the egg yolks that cured in 4-5 days.

These are quail eggs yolks after 4 days of curing in red miso. Counter-clockwise from bottom is: a pair of raw yolks, 62C, 63C, 64C, and 65C in the center with part of the albumen still attached. After curing, the raw yolks collapsed and were soft and sticky, while the rest retained their shape. The differences in texture among the 62C-65C yolks were subtle— all of them reminiscent of soft cheese with a rich, umami flavor. 

bahn pho ✢  sauteed pea sprouts ✢ scallion ✢ buna shimeji 
miso-cured quail eggs ✢ red chili
 roasted chicken stock finished with kombu