Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)

This Turkish eggs recipe was a surprise for me. I feel like I've seen and done it all at my age, so you can only imagine my shock at finding a new way to prepare eggs. I would never have thought to pair yogurt with poached eggs and spicy red pepper butter, but it might be my new favorite breakfast. Fried eggs also work in this, anyway you like them. Serve with toasted crusty bread for dipping.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 616 Calories

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch salt (Optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (Optional)
• 1 pinch sea salt
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno pepper
• ½ stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste (Optional)
• 2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon Aleppo chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar, or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Make yogurt spread: Place yogurt in a medium bowl and grate in garlic; mix to combine. Season with pepper, salt, and cayenne. Add dill and mix thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature.

Step 2

Make Aleppo butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; heat until bubbles begin to burst. Add chili flakes, paprika, and cumin. Stir until color is uniform. Turn off heat and let spices infuse.

Step 3

Make parsley and jalapeño oil: Grind parsley and jalapeño together in a mortar. Drizzle in olive oil and season with salt; stir to combine.

Step 4

Make poached eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add vinegar, and keep water at a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently slip egg into water, holding the bowl just above surface of water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Cook until whites are firm and yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, pat dry on a kitchen towel, and place onto a warm plate.

Step 5

Dollop yogurt mixture onto serving plates. Use the back of a spoon to spread yogurt, carving ridges into the top to catch oil. Drizzle some jalapeño oil. Top with eggs and 1 to 2 spoonfuls of Aleppo butter. Sprinkle sea salt on top.