Turkish Eggs (Çılbır) Recipe
Sometimes, all we crave is a snug congenial notion that reminds us of warmth. Something that relaxes us after a long day and hits us with that most-needed boost of nostalgia, that leaves us reminiscing about the good times. This recipe will provide you with just that. With minimal effort and very little investment of your precious time, you’ll be able to prepare this delectable Turkish classic, and may even impress your friends, family, and loved ones with your culinary skills!
I guarantee you that you can find most, if not all, of the ingredients needed to make this dish in your fridge. Doesn’t matter if you’re having it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner… Turkish eggs will not disappoint!
INGREDIENTS:
Eggs - 4
Greek Yogurt - 4 cups
Confit Garlic - 12-16 cloves
Paprika - 2 Tbsps
Chili Flakes - 1 Tbsp
Butter - 2 Tbsps
Lemon Juice - 2 tsps
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
Dill for garnish
First of all, you need to get your hands on some nice eggs. The fresher, the better! To poach the eggs, I use a pan. not a pot. I have found that if you use this method, you need not sieve the eggs before putting in the water. You also don’t need to add vinegar to the water. Just a couple of inches of water in a pan. Next, heat up the pan and make sure it’s not on a rolling boil, or it may toss the egg around like a rubber ball. Carefully drop the cracked eggs in the center of the pan, one at a time. Each egg should take around 2-3 minutes in the pan to end up with those ever-adored jammy yolks, and soft whites.
Next, we’re going to prepare the spicy component of the dish, the chili oil/butter! Heat up a pan on medium-low heat, and pour 2 Tbsps of extra virgin olive oil and 2 Tbsps of butter. When the butter is melted, switch off the flame and add 2 Tbsps paprika and 1 Tbsp chili flakes. This should be enough chili oil for 4 poached eggs, so you can adjust accordingly.
To prep the yogurt, spread a generous layer of fresh room-temperature whole milk yogurt (~1 cup per serving) and smash 3-4 confit garlics to it. The original recipe calls for 1 clove of raw garlic but I like it better with confit garlic. Season the yogurt with salt, pepper and squeeze of lemon.
Following the garlic, comes the poached eggs. Gently place the eggs on the surface of the yogurt and top it off with a few good drizzles of the prepared chili oil.
And that’s all. You have yourself an appetizing serving of Çılbır or Turkish Poached Eggs! Enjoy it with some rusty slices of sourdough bread. Feel free to adjust it to your liking. I personally prefer garnishing it with some fresh dill and believe me, you don’t want to miss the dill.. Afiyet Olsun or Bon appétit!