Turkish Cilbir
An authentic Turkish Çılbır featuring perfectly poached eggs resting on a velvety bed of garlic-infused herb yogurt, finished with a sizzling, fragrant Aleppo pepper butter sauce and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- •2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt, room temperature
- •2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- •2 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- •1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
- •0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
- •8 fresh large eggs, cold
- •2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- •6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- •1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- •1.5 tablespoon Aleppo pepper (Pul Biber)
- •0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- •0.25 teaspoon ground cumin
- • to taste flaky sea salt
- •8 slices crusty artisan sourdough or simit, sliced and toasted
Instructions
- 1.
Bring the yogurt to room temperature about 30 minutes prior to cooking. In a medium bowl, whisk together the room-temperature Greek yogurt, finely grated garlic, chopped dill, chopped mint, and 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt until smooth and creamy.
- 2.
Divide the garlic herb yogurt evenly among four wide, shallow serving bowls. Use the back of a spoon to spread the yogurt, creating slight swooshes and wells to catch the butter sauce later.
- 3.
In a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the unsalted butter and extra-virgin olive oil. Once foaming, stir in the Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika, and ground cumin. Swirl the pan continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and deeply crimson. Remove from the heat immediately to prevent the spices from scorching and keep warm.
- 4.
Fill a wide, deep saucepan with about 3 to 4 inches of water. Add 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar and bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat (small bubbles along the bottom, around 180°F to 190°F / 82°C to 88°C).
- 5.
Crack one egg into a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl to drain away the watery outer egg white, then transfer the egg into a small ramekin. Repeat with the remaining eggs in individual ramekins.
- 6.
Create a gentle whirlpool in the simmering water using a slotted spoon. Gently slide an egg into the center of the vortex. Poach 2 to 4 eggs at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks are still soft and runny.
- 7.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift each poached egg from the water and rest the base of the spoon on a paper towel for 3 seconds to remove excess moisture.
- 8.
Place two warm poached eggs onto the yogurt in each bowl. Spoon the warm, spiced Aleppo pepper butter generously over and around the eggs.
- 9.
Garnish with fresh dill fronds and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately with warm, crusty bread or toasted simit for dipping.
Tips
- 💡Always use room-temperature yogurt; cold yogurt straight from the fridge will immediately chill the warm poached eggs and solidify the melted spiced butter.
- 💡Straining each raw egg through a fine-mesh strainer before poaching removes the loose, watery albumen, ensuring neat, tight egg whites with no wispy strands.
- 💡If authentic Turkish Aleppo pepper (Pul Biber) is unavailable, substitute with 1 tablespoon sweet paprika blended with 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of cayenne.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux