Turkish Eggs (Cilbir) with Chili Butter and Garlic Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp dill
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- olive oil
- salt
Instructions
For the Yoghurt
- Finely mince your garlic.
- Bring the yogurt to room temperature and whisk with salt to taste and minced garlic until smooth. Set aside.
Chili Butter
- Melt your butter in a small saucepan
- Once melted add your chili flakes, chili powder, paprika, and cumin.
- Toast the spices in the butter for a minute until the color is uniform. Be careful not to burn your aromatics. A light toasting should be more than sufficient. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Poaching the Eggs
- Fill a medium-sized pan with water and bring to a boil, then lower down to a low simmer. We should be able to see very small bubbles.
- Line a small ramekin or bowl with a 40cm square piece of food-safe cling film. Push it down into the bowl. Brush it with some olive oil and crack in your egg. Lift the edges of the cling film and twist together as close as you can get to the egg. Then tie a knot again as close as you can get to the egg. Repeat for your second egg.
- Drop the little egg parcels into the low simmering water.
- Poach for 3 minutes. Remove from water. Gently cut right under the knot with a pair of scissors. Remove the egg. One side will have some ridges from the gathering of the cling film but the other side will be perfectly smooth. Place the eggs with the ridges down smooth side up.
For Serving
- In your serving bowl place the garlic yogurt, using the back of the spoon push the yogurt to the sides leaving a thin well in the middle.
- Place poached eggs onto the well in the yoghurt.
- Drizzle with the chili butter to taste. Serve the rest on the side.
- Garnish with dill and some salt and serve with your favorite bread.
Notes
For Poaching the Eggs Ahead of Time
Follow the above method, but when you remove the egg from the hot water place your parcel into a bowl of preprepared ice water. When they have chilled remove them from the cling wrap and plop them back into the ice water. Place in your fridge. When your ready to serve, remove the egg and place in a bowl of hot water to warm through, ( 20-30 seconds). Be careful here if you leave them longer the egg yolk will set up.