Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Thai-style Century Egg Salad
泰式涼拌皮蛋
Recipe overview
This Thai-style century egg salad pairs the rich, creamy yolk of preserved duck eggs with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and fresh herbs in a bright lime, fish sauce and sugar dressing. No heat is needed. Use intact, dated packaged century eggs, keep hands and boards clean, dry the vegetables thoroughly, and fold the eggs in only at the end. Serve straight away; if it must wait, cover and refrigerate promptly.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 packaged century eggs
- 200 g cucumber
- 180 g cherry tomatoes
- 80 g red onion
- 60 g celery
- 20 g coriander
- 10 g mint leaves
- 1 red chilli
- 1 clove garlic
- 30 g unsalted roasted peanuts
- as needed ice water
Thai sour-spicy dressing
- 60 ml Fresh lime juice (Strain out seeds after juicing.)
- 2 tablespoons Fish sauce (Saltiness and allergens vary by brand; contains fish and is high in sodium.)
- 2 teaspoons Sugar (Stir until fully dissolved.)
- 1 tablespoon Water (Use room-temperature water only, never the onion soaking water.)
02
Tools
- large bowl
- medium bowl
- small bowl
- sieve
- measuring cup
- knife
- wooden cutting board
- tablespoon
- teaspoon
- chopsticks or food tongs
- chopsticks or food tongs
- citrus juicer
- kitchen paper
- sealed food container
- white oval serving plate.
03
Steps
Step 1
Check the packaged eggs
Put the 4 century eggs on a clean work surface. Check that packaging is intact, shells are uncracked and dates are suitable; keep chilled until needed.
Step 2
Clean and peel
Wash hands and the work surface. Gently crack and peel away shell and membrane, putting shells straight into a bowl so they do not touch peeled eggs.
Step 3
Inspect the peeled eggs
Place all 4 peeled eggs on a white plate. They must look normal, without mould, red spots or an off smell; discard any questionable egg.
Step 4
Chill and cut
Briefly chill sound eggs, then use a clean wet knife to cut each into 8 wedges. Wipe the blade with damp kitchen paper after each egg to prevent sticking.
Step 5
Soak the red onion
Soak thin onion slices in ice water for 5 minutes to soften the sharpness. Drain in a sieve and blot dry; never retain this water for dressing.
Step 6
Prepare vegetables and herbs
Cut dry cucumber into half-moons, halve tomatoes, slice celery, chop cilantro and tear mint. Keep every item dry after washing.
Step 7
Prepare aromatics and peanuts
Slice chili, mince garlic and coarsely crush unsalted roasted peanuts. Wash the knife and board after this preparation.
Step 8
Juice the limes
Squeeze 60 ml fresh lime juice and strain out all seeds into a measuring cup.
Step 9
Mix the dressing
Stir lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, room-temperature water, garlic and chili in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Do not add salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce or sweet chili sauce.
Step 10
Dress the vegetables first
Put cucumber, tomatoes, drained onion, celery, cilantro and mint in a large bowl. Toss gently with about two-thirds of the dressing; do not add eggs yet.
Step 11
Add eggs last
Add the egg wedges and use tongs plus a large spoon to lift and turn only 3–4 times. Coat lightly without crushing the eggs or drawing out excess liquid.
Step 12
Plate and serve promptly
Transfer to the white oval plate and scatter over peanuts and a little cilantro. Serve immediately, or seal and refrigerate; never leave it at room temperature for long.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring package dates risks unsafe eggs—choose intact, dated packs
- using an egg with mould, red marks or a bad smell is unsafe—discard it
- using a board touched by raw meat or seafood causes cross-contamination—use separate clean or sanitised equipment
- cutting warm eggs makes them stick—briefly chill and wet the knife
- adding onion ice water dilutes the dressing—drain and discard it
- wet vegetables make a watery salad—dry them well
- extra salt with fish sauce makes it too salty—follow the dressing
- tossing eggs early breaks them—add last
- adding peanuts early makes them soft—scatter last
- leaving the finished salad out too long is unsafe—serve or refrigerate promptly.
Tips
Buy individually packaged eggs with clear dates; wash hands before and after peeling; a wet blade gives neater wedges; remove chili seeds or use less for children; omit chili if needed; drain onion thoroughly; dry herbs and cucumber after washing; keep peanuts separate until serving; anyone allergic to egg, fish or peanut must not eat the original recipe; check labels for possible soy, wheat or crustacean cross-contact; century eggs and fish sauce are not low-sodium; do not make ahead without refrigeration; seal leftovers and eat them promptly.
