Çilbir (Turkish Eggs)

• servings: 3 eggs
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Herbed Yogurt

1½ cups full fat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp finely chopped dill

2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

2 Tbsp finely chopped chives

1 clove garlic, finely grated

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

Kosher salt, to taste

Spiced Butter

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp Aleppo pepper (or ½ tsp cayenne powder, or 2 tsp gochugaru)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Eggs & Serving

3 eggs

2 Tbsp white vinegar

Toasted sourdough or bread of choice

Directions

In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, dill, parsley, chives, grated garlic, olive oil, and honey. Season with kosher salt to taste. Stir until smooth and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in Aleppo pepper (or cayenne or gochugaru), smoked paprika, coriander, and sesame seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly foamy.

Remove from heat.

Poach eggs (or use sous vide eggs, or sunny side up). Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the vinegar and stir to create a vortex. Crack an egg into a small bowl, then carefully slide it into the center of the vortex. Poach for 90 seconds, until the whites are just set but the yolks remain runny. Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg and drain on a paper towel.

Spread the herbed yogurt onto a plate or shallow bowl. Nestle the poached eggs on top and drizzle generously with the spiced butter.

Serve immediately with toasted sourdough or your preferred bread.

Notes

Cheffin with Zach: This isn't the most traditional cilbir recipe but it's how I like to make it. You'll usually see just garlic and maybe dill in the yogurt mixture, but I like to go extra aggressive with the herbs. Parsley and chives make great additions, and I also do just a touch of honey in there.

What makes this dish really sing is that spiced butter, with Aleppo pepper and smoked paprika. I love adding coriander to complement those herbs and sesame seeds for extra nuttiness.

To make this dish easier you can even do some sunny side up eggs in place of the poached eggs.