Salted Duck Eggs

In the Philippines, salted duck eggs are available already cooked (hard-boiled) and they are called itlog na pula [red egg]. Their shells tinted in distinctive reddish-mauve coloring, they are instantly recognizable as ready to be used in salads or as a garnish for bibingkas and other kakanin. Here in the United States, they are available in Chinatown stores uncooked either in brine or packed in Styrofoam cartons with a photo on the label showing a cross section of the orangered yolk. To use uncooked salted duck eggs in recipes, boil the eggs for at least 20 minutes. A duck egg connoisseur once informed me that the best salted duck egg was one that is boiled and then simmered for at least an hour and a half, cooking the egg until the yolk takes on a gritty and oily texture. Many accomplished chefs in Manila have used mashed salted duck egg yolks as a secret ingredient in their famous vinaigrettes.