Red braised tiger skin eggs

Boil the eggs, six and a half minutes from a cold start, then peel them.

Dry the eggs thoroughly and make shallow cuts down the egg lengthwise so steam can vent.

Get the wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add three to four tablespoons of oil and swirl it to get a non-stick surface.

Heat on medium high until bubbles form around a pair of chopsticks, add the eggs and fry about 90 seconds to a golden crust, flip, another 90 seconds, then twist them around for about two minutes more to cover unfried spots.

variation: fill a small non-stick saucepan with about an inch of oil, heat to about 160 celsius over a medium-high flame, add the eggs, two minutes, flip, two minutes more.

In a small pot over a medium flame, add a tablespoon of oil and swirl.

Add the garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant, about thirty seconds.

Add the cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise, clove and Sichuan peppercorn and fry fifteen seconds.

Nestle in the eggs, add the liaojiu and mix, then add the water, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce.

Add the sugar and salt and bring to a boil, then drop to medium for a heavy simmer, uncovered, flipping the eggs once or twice.

After about twelve minutes, when the sauce has reduced by about one third, sprinkle in the MSG and add the cornstarch slurry. Let it thicken about 30 seconds.

Shut off the heat, drizzle in the toasted sesame oil and sprinkle over sliced scallion.