Chinese Tea Eggs

As a child, Easter at my house always meant Chinese Tea Eggs. I suppose you can make them any day of the year since there's no religious significance to making them, but if you're boiling eggs anyway what's another 2 hours? Basically, they're eggs cooked in black tea, soy sauce and star anise pods. They're spicy, salty and smoky and the rich, dark shells are beautiful. You crack the shells while cooking to allow the tea mixture to seep in and make the web-like patterns on the egg whites. Recipe below. To those of you making faces before you've even tried them: You cannot be convinced. Take your nasty wax Cadbury Creme Eggs and go away.

Chinese Tea Eggs

6 eggs

3 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp black tea

5 star anise pods

1 tsp Chinese 5-Spice powder

1 tsp cracked black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Boil eggs in cold water for 2 minutes and remove. Crack shells slightly but do not remove. The more cracks, the more elaborate the design. Place back in water and add remaining ingredients and simmer covered on low for 2 hours. Allow to cool before removing and peeling. Chill and enjoy!