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Türkiye, Middle East and Africa

Çılbır (Turkish Poached Eggs on Garlic Yogurt)

Silky poached eggs on cool garlic yogurt, drenched in sizzling red chili butter: a classic Turkish breakfast.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time20 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsThe yolks are served runny. For young children, pregnant women, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system, poach for 4–5 minutes until the yolks are firm.

Method

  1. Take the yogurt out of the fridge ahead of time. Finely grate the garlic and stir it into the yogurt with the salt until smooth, then leave it at room temperature; cold yogurt chills the eggs instantly.

    Add in this stepGreek yogurt (or thick plain yogurt) 300 gGarlic cloves 1Salt 1 pinch

  2. Fill a 18 cm pot with about 8 cm of water and bring it to the boil on high heat, about . Add the vinegar and turn down to medium-low heat so only small bubbles rise from the bottom; a rolling boil tears the whites apart.

    Add in this stepWhite vinegar 1 tbsp

    high heat→medium-low heat

  3. Crack each egg into a small cup. Stir the water to make a gentle whirlpool and slide an egg into the centre. Poach 2 eggs at a time on medium-low heat for : the whites should be set and the yolks still runny. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

    Add in this stepEggs (very fresh) 4

    medium-low heat

  4. Melt the butter in a small pan on medium-low heat for , until foaming. Take it off the heat and stir in the pul biber; the butter turns a deep red. Adding the chili off the heat keeps it from burning and turning bitter.

    Add in this stepButter 25 gPul biber / Aleppo pepper flakes (or mild chili flakes with a little paprika) 1 tsp

    medium-low heat

  5. Spread the garlic yogurt over plates and set the eggs on top. Spoon over the chili butter, scatter with dill and serve at once with bread for scooping up yolk and yogurt.

    Add in this stepFresh dill, chopped 2 tbspSlices of crusty bread 2

Cook's tip

The fresher the eggs, the less the whites spread. If poaching makes you nervous, crack each egg into a fine sieve for 30 seconds first to drain the watery white. The magic is the contrast: room-temperature yogurt, hot butter.

Cooking it at camp

One burner is enough: poach the eggs in a camping pot, tip out the water and melt the butter in the same pot. Mix the garlic yogurt at home and carry it in the cooler; toast the bread on a grill rack.