Are you ready to boldly go where no culinary creation has gone before? In celebration of Doctor Who and its enduring legacy, we’re diving into the deliciously bizarre world of Whovian cuisine. Forget fish fingers and custard for a moment, and prepare yourself for a dish that’s as visually striking as it is surprisingly tasty: Slitheen Eggs. Inspired by the infamous Slitheen family from Doctor Who, this recipe transforms ordinary eggs into marbled green delicacies that are perfect for a Doctor Who viewing party or any gathering where you want to serve up something truly out of this world.
This recipe, featured in Chapter 1 of the Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook, takes the concept of Chinese tea eggs and gives it a Slitheen twist. Don’t be alarmed by their vibrant green hue; these Slitheen Eggs are made with natural ingredients like black tea and Asian spices, with a touch of green food coloring to achieve their signature alien look. While their appearance might suggest an intensely exotic flavor, the reality is a subtly seasoned, hard-boiled egg with a unique visual appeal. Get ready to impress your fellow Whovians with a dish that’s both fun to make and a conversation starter!
Slitheen Eggs
Slitheen Eggs Recipe
This recipe is straightforward and yields a batch of visually stunning and mildly flavored Slitheen Eggs.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups / 1 liter water
- 6 large white eggs
- 6 bags (or 6 tsp / 30 g loose) black tea
- 1 tbsp / 15 g green peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp / 30 g white sugar
- 1 inch / 2.5 cm peeled fresh ginger, thickly sliced
- 16-20 drops green food coloring
Instructions:
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Prepare the Tea Infusion: Begin by bringing the water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add the black tea, star anise (or 1 tsp / 5 grams regular anise if star anise is unavailable), cinnamon stick, and peeled ginger slices to the boiling water. Allow the tea to brew for approximately 5 minutes, letting the flavors infuse.
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Soft Boil the Eggs: Reduce the heat to a simmer once the tea has brewed. Gently lower the eggs into the simmering tea mixture one at a time. Ensure they are submerged. You can easily scale this recipe up to make a dozen eggs without altering the spice quantities, simply increase the number of eggs. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the eggs for 8 minutes to achieve a soft-boiled consistency.
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Crack the Eggshells: After 8 minutes, carefully remove the eggs from the hot tea and rinse them under cold running water to stop the cooking process and make them easier to handle. Once the eggs are cool enough to touch, use the back of a spoon to gently tap and crack the eggshells all over. The goal is to create a network of cracks across the surface of the shell without peeling it off. The more cracks you create, the more intricate the marbled pattern will be.
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Create the Marbling Effect: Return the saucepan with the tea mixture to the stovetop. Add the green food coloring, sugar, and green peppercorns (mixed peppercorns can be substituted if green are not accessible) to the tea. Gently place the cracked eggs back into the colored tea mixture. Bring the mixture back up to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and let the eggs simmer in the brew for 40 minutes. This simmering process allows the tea and green coloring to seep through the cracks and marbleize the egg whites.
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Cool and Reveal: After 40 minutes, remove the Slitheen Eggs from the pan. As they cool, the veined, green and brown pattern will become more pronounced. For an even more dramatic effect, particularly on white eggs, the interior of the eggshells will also display a striking marbled pattern. The eggs will have absorbed a subtle, spiced flavor from the tea infusion.
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Serving Suggestions: Slitheen Eggs are best served warm or at room temperature. They can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Serving Your Slitheen Eggs: A Tentacled Pasta Nest
To complete the Doctor Who theme, consider serving your Slitheen Eggs with a nest of pasta reminiscent of Slitheen tentacles.
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Prepare the Pasta: Boil a mix of half black and half whole wheat angel hair pasta according to package directions. If black pasta is unavailable, whole wheat pasta alone will work perfectly. The combination of colors is intended to evoke the texture and color of Slitheen tentacles, but the taste is the priority. Squid ink pasta can also be sourced online for a more intense black color if desired.
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Flavor the Pasta: Toss the cooked pasta with a drizzle of olive oil, minced fresh garlic, and a pinch of salt. The olive oil prevents the pasta from drying out and serves as a base for the garlic flavor. While a simple olive oil and garlic dressing is recommended to complement the subtle flavor of the eggs, you can use your favorite olive oil-based pasta sauce for a stronger flavor profile. Avoid tomato-based sauces, as they might create an unintended gory visual effect. White sauces are also not recommended as they don’t harmonize as well with the overall dish.
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Assemble the Dish: Create small nests of the seasoned pasta on plates. Place an unpeeled Slitheen Egg in the center of each pasta nest. Encourage your guests to peel their own eggs at the table to fully appreciate the dramatic green and veined exterior, as well as the artistic marbling inside the shell. Once peeled, the unique, mellow, and subtly spiced flavor of the Slitheen Egg can be enjoyed with the pasta.
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Slitheen Eggs are a fantastic and budget-friendly main course option, especially for vegetarian and lactose-intolerant guests. Their dramatic appearance and mild flavor are sure to be a hit. Be prepared to make extra, as these intriguing eggs are often requested for seconds, both for their novelty and taste!
For more exciting Doctor Who recipes, including dishes inspired by other iconic aliens, be sure to check out Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook. It’s packed with culinary adventures across time and space!
