Turkish Eggs
An eggsplosion of flavours.
This dish is called “Çılbır” (pronounced chill-brr) in Turkey. Apparently, is has been a big hit among Ottoman sultans since the 15th century. It features some of the recurring themes in Turkish cuisine, such as garlic yoghurt, chili butter and parsley.
The most popular egg dish in Turkey is actually Menemen, so I’m not exactly sure how this dish stole the spotlight. I blame the food bloggers.
The recipe calls for “Pul Biber” (Aleppo pepper flakes) which are hugely popular in Turkey, but the average chili flakes will also work.
Ingredients
- 300g yogurt, preferably Turkish, obviously
- 4 eggs
- 2 cloves of garlic, grounded or minced
- 75g butter
- 2tsp aleppo or chili pepper flakes
- A few sprigs of dill or parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix yogurt with garlic and a pinch of salt and stir with a fork. You can also warm the yogurt slightly over low heat using the Bain-marie method.
- Poach eggs and set aside
- Heat butter in a saucepan with peppers and stir until butter is melted.
- Assemble into two plates starting with warm garlic yogurt, poached eggs and chili butter.
- Garnish with chopped herbs, salt, pepper.
This dish goes perfectly with toasted sourdough bread.