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Preserved duck eggs are a traditional Chinese delicacy, and although known as "1000-year-old eggs" they are rarely more than 100 days old. According to radio-show host Chef Meng, it's a common dish, sometimes known as pidan, that is made by coating duck or chicken eggs in a clay-like plaster of red earth, garden lime, salt, wood ash, and tea. To prevent the eggs from sticking, and for an attractive presentation, the chef advises layering and wrapping individual eggs in rice husks and packing them into an airtight container. The preserved duck egg
recipe provided by RecipeSource (formerly known as SOAR: The Searchable Online Archive of Recipes) advises you to "bury" the eggs in a large crock that's been layered and lined with garden soil, and then store in a cool dry place for 3-4 months. Ingredients include a blend of equal parts of ash from charcoal, pine wood, and fireplace, along with salt and strong black tea. Chef Meng frankly dispels the misconception that horse urine is used to aid the fermentation process. Instead he offers two popular recipes -- pidan with tofu and pidan with lean ground pork. The Global Gourmet column provided a rich description of the resulting
flavor and texture -- smooth and creamy like an avocado, with a greenish yolk, and a no-longer-white white that is compared to the color of blackish amber or black opal, with hints of yellow, blue, and green hues. The flavor is "rich, pungent and cheese-like." Serving suggestion: Cut in wedges and serve with sweet pickled vegetables or a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, rice wine, and minced ginger. Yum! Or, as the old Latin adage says, de gustibus non est disputandum (there's no accounting for taste)!
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