Turkish Inspired Eggs – Cilbir
You haven’t brunched right until you’ve tried Cilbir! This Turkish inspired breakfast features perfectly poached eggs nesting in a creamy yogurt base with the most incredible chili oil on top. All you need is some crispy bread to enjoy this ultimate comfort dish!
The first time I had this dish was last year in Istanbul. The food in Turkey amazed me and we had the most incredible experience with their cuisine. One of the mornings, we want to a cafe and I ordered Cilbir off their menu and it was to die for! The yogurt was so creamy, the yolks ran right out when broken into, and they served it with the most delicious fresh bread to enjoy with. I enjoyed every bite with my Turkish coffee and I’m so happy that it’s actually pretty easy to recreate at home. The flavors are truly incredible! Let’s make it.
The Yogurt
The key to delicious Cilbir is making a flavorful yogurt base. You have to use the creamiest Greek yogurt so it’s nice and smooth. It’s better to get full fat as well. My favorite brand of yogurt is Fage, highly recommend. Greek yogurt is packed with protein and it has a nice tangy taste to make this dish so refreshing.
To the Greek yogurt, I like to add the following ingredients to brighten it up:
- lemon zest
- black pepper
- salt
- dill
- olive oil
Combine all together, taste, and adjust anything to your liking!
Making the Chili Oil
Now for my favorite part, making the chili oil which is SO SO flavorful. It’s packed with garlic and Aleppo pepper which is mild, totally not spicy, so don’t worry. It adds a beautiful rich flavor to this dish to balance the freshness of the yogurt.
Here is what you need:
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- garlic
- Aleppo pepper
- red pepper flakes
- cumin
- coriander
- salt
Just add all the ingredients to a pan over medium heat and cook for about 2 minutes or until deep in color. Set aside. The longer it sits, the more the flavors develops and the color darkens.
Poaching the Eggs
If you’re a master at poaching eggs, you can skip this part but if it is your first time, you got this! It can sound intimidating but it’s actually pretty simple.
Heat a pot with water about 2 to 3 inches and over medium heat until it starts to simmer. You DO NOT want it to be boiling and big bubbles, JUST small bubbles along the edges. Adjust the heat accordingly to achieve this.
Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. The vinegar helps the egg keep together and coagulate together in the water which is key!
Now this is the MOST IMPORTANT take away for mastering the poached egg. You can’t skip this. Crack one egg into a small bowl. DO NOT crack it directly into the water. Then bring the bowl as close to the water as possible like right above the water and gently pour the egg into the water. Once it’s all in, set the timer immediately for 2 to 3 minutes. I do 2 minutes for a very runny yolk and 3 minutes for a more jammy yolk. Take out of the water with a large slotted spoon gently. Repeat with the rest of the eggs.
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Breakfast
Turkish Inspired Eggs – Cilbir
Ingredients
CHILI OIL- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 16 ounces Greek yogurt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons chopped dill
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- mint, chopped
- chives, chopped
Instructions
- To a small pan over medium-low heat, add the butter, olive oil, garlic, Aleppo pepper, red pepper flakes, salt, coriander, and cumin. Combine together and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until you have a deep orange/red color. Take off the heat and set aside.
- To a bowl, combine the yogurt with olive oil, lemon zest, dill, black pepper, and salt until creamy and thick. Set aside.
- Heat a pot with water over medium heat until it starts to simmer. You don't want it to be boiling and big bubbles, just small bubbles along the edges.
- Add the vinegar to the water.
- Crack one egg into a small bowl. Bring the bowl as close to the water as possible and slowly drop the egg into the water.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites have set, 2 minutes for the extra runny yolk. Take out of the water with a large slotted spoon gently. Repeat with the rest of the eggs.
- To assemble, add some yogurt to the bottom of a plate or bowl and spread. Add the poached eggs on top, I like to do two per plate.
- Drizzle the chili oil all along the top and finish off with mint and chives on top to enjoy!
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WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE?
HI, I’M HAJAR
Welcome to Moribyan! This is my blog where I love to share all my favorite recipes and lifestyle tips with you all. If I’m not cooking here, I’m either at Trader Joe’s, the gym, or eating a bagel.
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I loved this dish! It was the first time I made a poached egg. It came out amazing. Made it yesterday with a slightly different on the yoghurt. I had some leftover tzatziki sauce. I added some to the Plain Greek Yogurt and mixed. The rest the recipe was exact. I also took a fresh baked baguette, sliced and used your butter spread from (eggs in a boat). Toasted it and WOW! What amazed me was my 5 year old son liked too so I made one for him. Thank you for this recipe.
First time poaching and eggs turned out well! Couldn’t find Aleppo so used google substitute of sweet paprika+cayenne pepper (4:1). Next time I’ll do 1T oil in yoghurt only so that it holds better, felt it was a little soft/runny. will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing! 🙂