Yogurt Lovers’ Turkish Eggs

Spice up your morning eggs!

If you fancy making breakfast with a bit of wow factor, you must try Çılbır! Pronounced chul-bur, this traditional Turkish breakfast dish features perfectly poached eggs nestled on a thick bed of garlicky yogurt, all topped with a generous drizzle of warm, spiced pepper butter sauce.

Most people think of yogurt as something sweet, paired with fruit or muesli, but this dish celebrates savoury yogurt in all its glory. Turkish eggs combine two staple breakfast proteins - eggs and yogurt - into one exciting and flavour-packed dish. The creamy tang of fresh homemade yogurt and the richness of the butter sauce make this plate-licking good. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll understand why it’s one of the most beloved egg dishes in Turkey!

While Turkish eggs have three components and look a little fancy, they’re surprisingly easy to make, and absolutely worth it. Don’t be daunted. You’ll have a restaurant-worthy breakfast in under 20 minutes!

Poached Eggs

Poached eggs are the star of this breakfast, so we’ll show you, step by step, how to make them with that perfect runny yolk.

Straining the egg before poaching helps remove the thin, watery part of the egg white, the part that creates those wispy strands in the water. By removing this, you get a neater, more compact poached egg with a firm white wrapped tightly around the yolk. It might sound like an unnecessary step, but it makes all the difference if you want a beautifully shaped egg without stringy bits.

Homemade Yogurt

Turkish cuisine often uses strained yogurt in savoury dishes, so make sure to strain your homemade yogurt ahead of time. The garlic yogurt base in Turkish eggs is best served at room temperature or just slightly warm. You can either prepare the sauce in advance or gently warm it by placing the bowl over a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Cold yogurt will set the fats in butter sauce.

Bread

Yogurt lovers’ Turkish eggs are best served immediately. Crusty bread is essential for scooping up every delicious drop of yogurt, oozy egg, and rich butter sauce. Trust us, you won’t want to leave any behind.

Aleppo Pepper

Turkish red pepper flakes (Aleppo pepper) have a mild, sweet taste with a subtle lemony note and very little heat. If you can’t find Aleppo pepper (we couldn’t), try a mix of flaked sweet paprika and just a pinch of cayenne to mimic its unique flavour.

Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs aren't strictly traditional, but I can’t imagine Turkish eggs without dill! Don’t skimp. Dill adds a bright, fresh note. You could also try fresh mint of parsley.

SERVES 2: If you are just preparing breakfast for one, simply half the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Garlic Yogurt Sauce
1 cup homemade yogurt, (dripped to Greek-style) at room temperature
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt

Poached Eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 eggs

Butter Sauce
3 tablespoons (45g) butter cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper, or mild paprika flakes & pinch a cayenne

For Serving
1 tablespoon of fresh dill, parsley or mint
Turkish bread or toast
Sea salt flakes for sprinkling (optional)

METHOD

Garlic Yogurt sauce
1.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl then set it aside so it can come to room temperature. To speed up the process, you can sit the bowl of yogurt sauce over a small pot of boiling water. Stir for a few minutes until the yogurt comes to body temperature.
2.   Divide the yogurt sauce between the two serving plates and set aside.

Butter sauce
3.   The sauce comes together quickly and is best prepared, then heated immediately before serving. Add the butter and pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Heat until it’s boils briefly, but do not let it burn.

Perfect Pouched eggs
4.   Use a wide saucepan or pan. Depending on your confidence you can cook either 2 or 4 eggs together. Add water so that it comes up the side about 4cm. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the lid on so it heats up faster.
5.   While you are waiting for the water to come to a boil, crack each egg into a small strainer over a bowl and let the watery part of the egg white drain out. If you have very fresh eggs, very little will drain away. After each egg has drained, carefully slide it into a small ramekin. Repeat the same process for each egg.
6.   Line a large plate with paper towel, get out a slotted spoon, and put both near the pan so everything is ready.
7.   Turn the heat right down so there is no movement in the water. Stir in the vinegar. Take a ramekin in each hand and gently slide in the eggs. Cook for 3 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks still runny.
8.   Carefully transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to the paper-lined plate to remove any excess water. 

To serve
9.   Heat the butter sauce.
10.  Transfer the poached eggs to the prepared yogurt plates, top each with 2 poached eggs. Pour the hot butter sauce around and over the egg. Finish with chopped dill and a sprinkle of flaked salt.  
11.  Serve immediately with your favourite bread or toast. 

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