Turkish Poached Eggs (Çılbır)
by Jay Wadams
Perfectly poached eggs, nestled on a bed of herby, garlicky yogurt, drizzled with red pepper oil, and served with fresh, crusty bread, is one of the most fantastic brunch dishes I know. If you've never tried Turkish Poached Eggs or Cilbir, you've been missing out!
Ingredients
for the onions:
- 1 medium red onion peeled and finely sliced
- 125 ml white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
for the eggs:
- 4 large eggs from the fridge
- white vinegar
for the yogurt:
- 250 g Greek yogurt or Turkish style, unsweetened
- 3 Tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- ½ clove garlic crushed
- ¼ - ½ tsp sea salt
for the red pepper oil:
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or butter
- 2 tsp pul biber or Aleppo pepper see notes
to serve:
- flat-leaf parsley
- fresh dill
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- Turkish bread or pita bread toasted
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- PREPARE ONIONS: Slice the onions. Mix the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Submerge the onion slices in the vinegar mixture, topping up with a splash of vinegar if necessary to ensure they are covered. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- PREPARE EGGS (optional): Fill four ramekins one-third with white vinegar, top up to the two-thirds mark with water, and carefully crack an egg into each ramekin. Set aside for 10-15 minutes (see notes for explanation). Place a wine saucepan of water over high heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
- PREPARE YOGURT: Combine yogurt with the chopped dill and parsley, adding garlic and salt to taste. Spread over two serving plates.
- PREPARE OIL: Combine the olive oil or butter and pul biber in a small saucepan. Heat gently for 1 minute or until the butter has just melted, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- POACH EGGS: When the eggs have been in the water/vinegar mixture for 10-15 minutes, they are ready to be cooked. Ensure the water is at a gentle simmer, then carefully tip the eggs and any liquid in the ramekins into the saucepan one after the other. Cook gently for 3-4 minutes until poached to your liking. Remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon, dap dry on a paper towel or cloth and then place two eggs on each plate of yogurt.
- GARNISH: Drizzle the red pepper oil generously over each plate, scatter over plenty of fresh parsley, dill and nigella seeds and a few forkfuls of red onions. Season with salt and serve immediately with toasted Turkish bread.
Notes
Pul Biber, or Aleppo pepper flakes, is a type of mild chilli flake found in Turkey. If you can't find it, you can replace it in this oil with a mixture of sweet paprika powder and mild chilli flakes to taste.
EGG POACHING: This method for poaching eggs may seem unusual, but it works incredibly well! I came across the technique via Chef Adrienne Cheatham on YouTube and was instantly converted. It makes poaching larger batches of eggs a breeze. Try it and see! If you don't have ramekins, use a small cup instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 2eggs | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 334mg | Sodium: 1652mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1041IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 2mg