Are you ready for Halloween?

Ghosts and goblins, and GRAVES ~ “graved” eggs – burying them deep in salt ~ curing the bright orange yolk in savory crystals with a magical result.

That’s right.

Graved Eggs or Salt-Cured Eggs.

Rather than let any precious yolks go to waste when cooking (who is crazy enough to do that in this day and age anyway?), it’s time to nestle them in a tub of salt until they’re transfigured into solid, dry-cured orange orbs.

And when the globes are finished, they become MAGICAL nuggets of umami to shave over dish after dish after dish.

It’s a hit of richness, an element that helps the other ingredients click into focus. “It adds a unique salty, fatty component to a dish, a depth of flavor,” Kostow says. “It’s a great supporting player—you might not even know it’s in a dish, but it’s always achieving something.”

I have to admit, though, rather than just enjoying these nuggets shaved, I kind of just wanted to pop the whole thing in my mouth!

Graved Eggs

4 farm-fresh or pastured egg yolks
2 lbs. kosher salt

Evenly spread out half of salt mixture in a glass baking dish. Using the back of a tablespoon, create 4 depressions in salt, spacing evenly. Carefully place an egg yolk in each depression. Gently sprinkle remaining salt mixture over yolks and tightly wrap dish with plastic. Chill 4 days.

Preheat oven to 150. Brush salt mixture off each yolk, then carefully rinse under cold water to remove any remaining salt (yolks will be semi-firm, bright, and translucent). Gently pat dry with paper towels.

Place yolks on a greased wire cooking rack. Dry out in oven until opaque and texture is like a firm cheese, 1½–2 hours. Let cool. (Alternatively, if your oven doesn’t go that low, you can dry out eggs in an unheated oven for 2 days.)

Finely grate cured egg yolks over everything. MAGIC.

**Yolks can be cured 1 month ahead. Place in an airtight container and chill.

Five AWESOME Ideas for Cured Egg Yolks
1. Grate on top of hot pasta the way you would hard cheese.
2. Shave over white-bean crostini for a hit of salt and color.
3. Dissolve thin shavings in a brothy soup to add body.
4. Crumble over simply cooked veggies like steamed bok choy or asparagus.
5. Double up and use to season a crispy fried egg. Super meta.