Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)

5 from 1 vote

Creamy and garlicky herbed yogurt provides a backdrop for poached eggs covered in flavorful and delicious spiced oils for an unusual and amazingly delicious Turkish breakfast dish. This recipe is adapted from Chef John’s take on Cilbir, or Turkish Eggs.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Middle Eastern, Turkish

Keyword breakfast, cilbir, dairy-free, eggs, Middle Eastern, nut-free, poached eggs, Turkish, vegetarian, yogurt

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 10

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 519kcal

Author Jenny Ross

Ingredients

Yogurt

1 cup Greek yogurt full fat, or or coconut yogurt for dairy-free
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped, or dill, mint, or a combination

Smoky Butter

4 tablespoons butter at room temperature, or butter flavored coconut oil for dairy-free
1/4 teaspoon cumin ground
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Aleppo chili flakes or Harissa paste, or a combination of the two

Jalapeño and Parsley Oil

2 tablespoons parsley
1 jalapeño pepper
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons avocado oil

To Finish

4 eggs

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Instructions

Bring a large pot of water seasoned generously with salt to a boil over high heat. Crack all 4 eggs into a fine mesh strainer set in the sink and set aside. While the water is heating, prepare the rest of the dish.
Combine all yogurt ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust salt to taste, set aside at room temperature.
Combine all the butter ingredients in a small pan and heat until bubbling. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine the parsley and jalapeño in a small blender. Puree until completely smooth. Stir in oil and set aside.
Poach the eggs. Reduce the water to a bare simmer. Stir with a large spoon so that the water continues to swirl when you remove the spoon. Tip the eggs from the fine mesh strainer directly into the swirling water. Let cook for 4 minutes, uncovered. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and set onto a paper towel lined plate.
Spread yogurt on a plate, place eggs on top then drizzle with the butter mixture and jalapeño oil. Garnish with extra parsley, if desired.

Notes

I like to double this, including the eggs. You can actually poach up a bunch of eggs and then reheat them as desired. To do so, place them in a mug with a cup or two of just boiled water as you would for tea and let stand for about 5 minutes to warm through. To complete this dish, just re-melt the smoky butter as well, either on the stovetop or in a microwave.

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