Turkish Cilbir – Poached Eggs in Yoghurt is an absolutely delicious breakfast dish that I simply adore.
Whether I make this for breakfast, brunch or lunch I thoroughly enjoy it. I have been making this for a couple of years now but didn’t upload it to the blog because it is really difficult to make it look pretty on camera if i’m honest.
My son decided to wake up super early today and cry his head off, really loudly. He is generally very loud anyway but this morning, he hit new decibels. He doesn’t do it often so I jolted out of bed in a panic. Two words. Blanket Issues. Anyway, it took me an hour to get him to sleep and then I couldn’t get back to sleep. Sleepless nights are such a thrilling part of parenthood.
Cilbir is a really really simple dish but so effective. It is a lovely dish to have on cold mornings because despite the cool yoghurt, it feels like a warm hug inside.
With cooking sometimes it is the smallest things that make a difference and like I always say, sometimes it is just a sprinkle of salt, the toasting of seeds, the squeeze of lemon juice or that drizzle of a good quality olive oil that takes a dish go from ok to epic. Sometimes it is presentation that does that. Something I am not skilled at. I wish I was able to present dishes beautifully but hey I am getting better. This dish is a perfect example of simple small things making a big difference. Butter and Chilli flakes make this dish taste amazing.
People always say that the hand that makes the food is important. One person with the same recipe can make it completely different to another person. I completely agree. That is why you can sometimes tell who has made a dish simply by catching a whiff of it and the reason that a mothers touch is so special. Also I think everyone can cook but there is a lot of unnecessary food snobbery/competitivevness around. Also as with anything, those with a passion for it excel at it and some people just don’t care enough about making food. What do you think?
Cilbir
Ingredients
- 30 g unsalted butter or 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp aleppo chilli flakes or 1/4 tsp other
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 4 large eggs
- 150 g plain natural yoghurt
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat for a minute or two, until it starts to foam and turn golden-brown. Whisk in the chilli, then take off the heat.
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Fill a large pan with water, add the vinegar, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium low, and crack the eggs in one at a time. Poach for 3 minutes and transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
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Add the yoghurt, garlic and a little salt in a pan and warm over a very low heat to combine. This will take a couple of minutes. Over heating will split the yoghurt.
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Divide the warm yoghurt between bowls and top with eggs. Spoon over the chilli butter/oil and eat with crusty bread and salad.
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