Turkish Poached Eggs Recipes

TURKISH EGGS (CILBIR)

Steps:

• Spoon yogurt into a medium bowl. Grate in garlic and mix to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add dill and mix thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; heat until bubbles begin to burst. Add cumin, paprika, and chili flakes. Stir until color is uniform, then turn off heat and let spices infuse.
• Grind parsley and jalapeno together in a mortar. Season with salt, drizzle in olive oil, and stir to combine.
• Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, pour in vinegar, and keep the water at a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a small bowl then gently slip egg into the simmering water, holding the bowl just above the surface of water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, dab on a kitchen towel to remove excess water, and place onto a warm plate.
• Dollop yogurt mixture onto serving plates. Use the back of a spoon to spread yogurt out into a bed for the eggs, carving ridges into the top to catch the oil. Drizzle on some jalapeno oil. Top with eggs and a spoonful or two of the Aleppo butter. Sprinkle sea salt on top.

ÇıLBıR RECIPE (TURKISH POACHED EGGS WITH YOGHURT)

Steps:

• Bring a saucepan of water with a splash of vinegar to the boil.
• Meanwhile, mix your yoghurt with the garlic, mint, paprika and salt and divide between two plates.
• Swirl a spoon in the centre of the yoghurt to spread it out and leave a well in the centre.
• Crack your eggs one at a time onto a small plate, taking care not to break the yolk.
• Stir your boiling water with a whisk so that it starts to swirl.
• Whilst the water is swirling, carefully pour one egg into the centre of the swirl and poach for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place into the iced water. repeat the process for the remaining three eggs.
• Leave the boiling water on the heat.
• If you are having your çılbır with toasted bread, start to toast it now.
• Meanwhile, gently heat your butter and chilli flakes over a low heat and stir until the chilli has infused and the butter is starting to bubble. Remove from the heat.
• Now place all four poached eggs back into the simmering water for 30 seconds to reheat. The eggs can all go into the water together.
• Remove each one carefully with a slotted spoon and drain before placing two eggs into the centre of each yoghurt well on your plates.
• Drizzle the melted chill butter over the poached eggs and yoghurt and serve immediately with your hot, toasted bread.

TURKISH EGGS

Steps:

• Fill a wide-ish saucepan (I use one of 22cm diameter) with water to come about 4cm up the sides of the pan. Put it on the heat and cover so that it heats up faster. Line a large plate with some kitchen roll, get out a slotted spoon, and put both near the pan now. Now fill another pan - on which a heatproof bowl can sit comfortably - again with water to come 3-4cm up the sides, and bring to the boil. Put the yogurt in said bowl, stir in the garlic and salt, and sit it on top of this pan, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir it until it gets to body temperature and has the consistency of lightly whipped double cream. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl as it is, over the pan. Melt the butter gently in a small pan until it is just beginning to turn a hazelnutty brown (this is why, in classic French cuisine, it's known as beurre noisette), but make sure it's not actually burning. Turn the heat off under the pan, then stir in the olive oil, followed by the beautiful red pepper flakes; it will foam up fierily. Leave to one side while you get on with the eggs. And this is when you should be thinking of putting the toast on. When you are ready to poach the eggs, crack the first egg into a finemesh strainer suspended over a small bowl, then lift it up a little and swirl gently for about 30 seconds, letting the watery part of the white drip into the bowl. Gently tip the egg into a small cup or ramekin and, aiming for the white, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice; I know everyone else says vinegar, but I just don't like the taste of it on the egg, and the lemon does the trick just the same. Proceed as above with the second egg. When the poaching water is just starting to simmer, take a cup or ramekin in each hand and gently slide in the eggs, one on each side of the pan. Turn the heat right down so there is no movement in the water whatsoever, and poach the eggs for 3-4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still runny. Transfer the eggs with your slotted spoon to the paper-lined plate to remove any excess water. Do remember to switch off the heat. Sorry to state the obvious, but I have too often left it on this low without noticing. Divide the warm creamy yogurt between two shallow bowls, top each with a poached egg, pour the peppery butter around and slightly over the yogurt, scatter the chopped dill on top, and eat dreamily, dipping in some thick well-toasted bread as you do so.

TURKISH EGGS

Steps:

• Put the chilli and butter in a small pan and melt on a very gentle heat to ensure the chilli flavour infuses while you make the rest of the dish.
• Whisk the garlic into the yogurt. Season well and add the lemon juice. Bring a large pan of water to a simmer. Add the vinegar, make a swirl with a large spoon, then crack each egg into the water. Poach for 3 mins until set, then drain on kitchen paper.
• To serve, put half the yogurt in each bowl, add a poached egg to each, then drizzle with the melted chilli butter. Season, top with sumac and coriander leaves, and serve with toast.