- 2 partsButter
- 2 partsSalted egg yolk
- 1 partCurry leaves + chilli + garlic
- 4 salted duck egg yolks
- 50g butter
- 8 curry leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1-2 red bird's eye chillies, sliced
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp evaporated milk or milk, optional, for a creamier sauce
- If the eggs are raw, steam the yolks for 8-10 minutes until firm. Mash them finely with a fork while warm.
- Melt the butter in a wok or pan over low heat. Add the curry leaves, garlic and chilli and fry gently for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the mashed yolks and stir constantly over low heat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture foams and turns sandy and frothy.
- Stir in the sugar, and the milk if you want it creamier.
- Toss in hot fried prawns, chicken or chips straight away and serve.
Salted egg yolk sauce is the golden, sandy, buttery coating on salted egg prawns, chicken and chips across Singapore and Malaysia. Cured salted duck egg yolks are steamed, mashed and foamed in butter with curry leaves, garlic and chilli until frothy. It's rich, salty and savoury, with a little sweetness and a lot of fragrance from the curry leaves.
Buy salted duck eggs at Asian grocers (raw or cooked both work). Keep the heat low once the yolks go in: you want it to foam, not scramble. Toss hot fried food straight through it so the sauce clings.
Fried prawns, chicken wings, squid, crispy tofu, chips and fried fish.
Use it for salted egg yolk prawns, or toss it through fried squid or crispy tofu. For another rich wing glaze, try honey sriracha sauce.
Uses this sauce
Recipes that call for this sauce. Make a batch and cook one of these.
Pairs well with
Dishes this sauce suits. These recipes make their own glaze or dressing, so you can swap this sauce in.