Çılbır - Turkish Eggs
Ingredients
Poached Eggs
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons vinegar divided
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Yogurt Base
- 1 1/4 cup yogurt (thick Greek or Turkish 0%-full fat)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 2-3 garlic minced
Chili Oil/Butter
- 3-4 tablespoons butter
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Too finish
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon dill minced
Instructions
Make Garlicky Yogurt
- In a bowl, add your yogurt, minced garlic and season with salt to taste.
- You can optionally season your yogurt with black pepper, paprika or even add minced herbs at this stage. I kept mine simple with just salt and garlic.
- Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Make Poached Eggs
- Fill a small sauce pan with water and place on stove on medium heat until there are bubbles forming but it is not boiling. Lower heat but make sure water stays hot.
- If you have access to a strainer, place a small strainer over and empty bowl. Crack your eggs into the strainer and let the loose whites fall through. This should happen naturally, you won't need to agitate the strainer.
- Place this strained egg into another small bowl and set aside. The strained egg should still have a significant amount of egg white around the yolk. Repeat with another egg and place in a small bowl.
- In your small sauce pan with hot water, add a tablespoon of vinegar. Carefully pour your strained egg into the hot water with bubbles (but not boiling or even simmering). I typically try and poached 2 eggs at a time so carefully place you second strained egg in the same sauce pan.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes until eggs are cooked to your liking. White cooked with a runny yolk. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from water and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- I typically empty the water in the small sauce pan and reheat a new batch or water with an additional tablespoon of vinegar for the next two eggs.
Make Chili Oil/Butter
- In a small frying pan add you butter until melted and add your olive oil. You butter will foam slightly.
- Then add your red chili flakes, gochugaru and paprika make sure to do this quickly, mix thoroughly and remove from heat. The chili can easily burn. I pull off heat after 30 seconds or less. Reminder that all these chili flakes can be replaced with Aleppo pepper or just one of the peppers.
To Serve
- On a plate place your yogurt and gently swirl it to create grooves which the chili oil can pool.
- Top your yogurt with your poached eggs. You can season your eggs with a bit of flaky sea salt.
- Drizzle your chili oil over the plate.
- Sprinkle your mined parsley and dill over the plate and serve hot.
Notes
Gochugaru, paprika and red chili flakes are just substitutes I used for Aleppo pepper which is often the red chili flake used in the most traditional version of this recipe.