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Turkish Cilbir
Turkish Cilbir
- Preparation time 105 mins
- Serves 4 people
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During the Ottoman empire, Cilbir was simply a word for poached eggs prepared in a variety of ways. However, this particular method of serving poached eggs became a favourite of one of the sultan's and so the word now refers to this recipe specifically.
The best part is that you are likely to have all of the ingredients you need already in your kitchen.
Ingredients
2 cups thick yoghurt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
salt, to season
50g butter
1 tsp Aleppo pepper, hot paprika or chilli powder
4 eggs
finely shredded dill, to serve (optional)
Method
- Place the yoghurt into a fine sieve (or a sieve lined with a cloth) over a bowl for about 1 hour at room temperature to drain away some of the liquid so that the yoghurt thickens further. Mix through the garlic and season well with salt.
- In a small frying pan melt the butter over medium heat and add the Aleppo pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Bring a tall saucepan of water to a low simmer. Crack one egg into a small bowl and stir the saucepan to create a very gentle whirlpool. Pour the egg into the centre and poach for about 3 minutes until the egg is set. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
- Spoon the yoghurt onto two serving plates then add the eggs on top. Season with salt, spoon over a little of the butter and scatter with dill to serve.
