Turkish Eggs or ‘Çılbır’
Vegetarian | High protein | Serves 2
My take on Çılbır (Turkish Eggs), with a few simple tweaks to make them more substantial, using organic eggs, which are produced to the UK’s highest welfare and environmental standards. The traditional garlicky yoghurt is replaced with a 50/50 mix of Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese for extra protein, and I’ve added an optional vibrant herb salad which balances the richness and takes the whole thing up a notch.
Recipe developed in collaboration with the Soil Association Certification. Check out their website for more information on what makes organic eggs different.
Tips & Tricks:
Use the freshest organic eggs you can find. Fresh eggs have thicker whites, so they hold much more neatly around the yolk when poached.
Crack each egg into a small bowl first. It gives you more control when lowering it into the water and makes it easier to spot any shell.
Keep the water at a very gentle simmer. You want a little movement, but not an aggressive boil, which can break the whites apart. If using a whirlpool, keep it gentle too, just enough to help the white wrap around the yolk.
Yoghurt base should be room temperature. If it’s still very cold when you’re ready to serve, you can sit the bowl over the warm poaching water for a couple of minutes to take the chill off. I prefer the mixture at room temperature or just slightly warm, so it doesn’t immediately cool the poached eggs.
Blend the base if you want it completely smooth. Cottage cheese naturally has some texture, which I personally enjoy, but a quick blitz in a blender will make it smoother if you prefer.
Ingredients.
150g full-fat Greek yoghurt
150g full-fat cottage cheese, I LOVE this one
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
Sea salt, to taste
4 very fresh organic eggs
30g unsalted butter
1 tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp smoked paprika
To serve:
2 chunky slices seeded sourdough bread
Extra virgin olive oil, optional
Pink pickled onions, optional
Herb salad, optional: small handful of mint leaves, flat-leaf parsley and dill, dressed with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
toaster/grill
small bowl/ramekin
large saucepan
small saucepan/frying pan
kitchen roll
slotted spoon
sieve (optional)
Method.
Add the Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese to a bowl and finely grate in the garlic. Season generously with salt and mix well. Set aside at room temperature.
If serving with the herb salad, pick the herb leaves into a small bowl and toss lightly with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Put the sourdough in the toaster, ready to toast once the eggs go into the water.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a very gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, make the chilli butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the chilli flakes, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt. Cook for around 30 seconds, just until foaming and fragrant, then remove from the heat so the paprika doesn’t burn.
Line a plate with kitchen paper. Crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin. If your eggs aren’t as fresh as you’d like, you can crack them into a small fine-mesh sieve first and allow the very watery part of the white to drain away before transferring to the ramekin.
Give the simmering water a gentle swirl and carefully lower in the first egg to the centre. Once it has begun to set, add another alongside it. I find it easiest to poach two eggs at a time rather than crowding the pan. You won’t be able to create another whirlpool once an egg is cooking, but fresh eggs should hold together well without one.
As soon as the eggs are in, toast the sourdough. Once toasted, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, if using.
Poach the eggs for around 2–3 minutes, until the whites are just set but the yolks remain runny. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and briefly sit them on the kitchen paper to remove any excess water. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Divide the yoghurt mixture between two plates or shallow bowls and top each with two poached eggs. Spoon over the warm chilli butter and finish with the herb salad and pink pickled onions, if using. Serve immediately with the sourdough for dunking.
