Salted Duck Eggs

Method

1. Bring 250 ml of water to the boil in a small saucepan with 65 g of coarse non-iodised sea salt, stirring until no crystals remain on the base of the pan — the brine should be fully saturated. Add 1 star anise and 0.5 tsp of Sichuan peppercorns, take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Warm brine will start to cook the eggs, so do not rush this.
2. Meanwhile, wipe 2 duck eggs clean under cool running water with a soft cloth, discarding any with hairline cracks, and dry them thoroughly. Scald a jar just large enough to hold them with boiling water and let it drain dry.
3. Sit the eggs in the jar in a single layer. Stir 1 tsp of Shaoxing wine into the cold brine — it helps the yolks turn oily — and pour it over the eggs so they are covered by at least 2 cm of liquid, spices and all.