Cilbir (Turkish Eggs) with Herbs and Urfa Chili Brown Butter
At its heart, cilbir, a Turkish breakfast dish, is simple: a poached egg nestled in a silky cocoon of garlicky yogurt, topped with spicy melted butter or oil. It’s great to eat with bread (in fact, I’m going to say it’s MANDATORY to eat it with bread) and is a found-in-the-wild vegetarian breakfast–no fiddling with the recipe needed.
Buuut I fiddled with it anyway….
Just a bit! I added a few things. My version of cilbir has been a couple years in the making. The first time I made it, I think I ate it with roasted sweet potatoes (maybe trying to be healthy or something??) and was immediately like LOL no, this is a bread dish. But I did keep one thing the same from that first time: Urfa chilis.
Urfa chilis com from the Urfa region of Turkey. They are mild-medium spicy and have a sweet, smoky flavor. The flavor infuses with the butter and balances well with the freshness of the herbs I add to the yogurt.
That’s another difference between my cilbir and more traditional versions: I like to mix some finely chopped herbs into the yogurt along with the garlic. What can I say–garlic and herbs is never a bad idea. Probably.
The final difference is I like to top it all off with a few crispy shallots. I love the texture that they add to a dish that is otherwise pretty creamy. Also, have you had crispy shallots? They are amazing and good on everything.
Runny yolk!
As you can see, this is not exactly a traditional cilbir–it’s MY version! I actually never ate cilbir when I was in Turkey and I’m not sure how that happened. I guess I was too busy eating Turkish breakfast spreads, which are great. But next time I go to Turkey, I’m looking forward to trying some authentic cilbir!
Notes on the ingredients:
Yogurt: I used full fat Greek yogurt and I recommend you do, too. It is creamier and has a milder tanginess factor than types with less fat. Also, since this dish doesn’t have a whole lot of ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide nonfat Greek yogurt’s inferiority!
Herbs: I used a mix of parsley, cilantro, and chives in the yogurt and fennel fronds as a garnish. Mint and dill would also work. You can use your preference of herbs here, but they should be fresh!
Butter: I used salted butter; if you only have unsalted, I recommend adding salt. Also, the addition of Urfa chilis makes browning the butter a little tricky, because they color the butter darker when you add them. If you’re not confident in your brown butter cooking skills, then just add the Urfa chilis when you’re finished. Alternatively, you don’t have to brown the butter at all–it’s still good if you don’t!
Urfa chilis: These may not be easy to find depending on where you live. If you don’t have them, can’t find them, or are like, “yeah they sound good and all but I want to make this today with what I have in my pantry,” then just use any pepper you like. If you want the smoky flavor, use smoked paprika mixed with a spicy chili.
Recipe:
Cilbir (Turkish Eggs) with Herbs and Urfa Chili Brown Butter
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the yogurt, garlic, herbs, and a pinch of salt. Divide between two bowls (or however many servings you're making) and set aside.
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the poached eggs. Use whatever technique works for you! But if you're not sure, here's how I do it: bring water to a boil with a tablespoon or so of light-colored vinegar. Crack the egg into a ramekin or small bowl. Stir the water furiously (not so much you're splashing around everywhere, but enough to make a vortex) and pour the egg into the middle of the vortex. When the whites are firm but the yolk is still soft, remove the egg from the water with a slatted spoon and set it on some folded paper towels to dry. Repeat for the second egg.
- For the brown butter: Use a small pan over medium heat to make the brown butter. Put the butter into the pan and melt it. Swirl it around in the pot several times per minute to make sure it doesn't burn. After a couple minutes, add the Urfa chilis (or your choice of chilis) and swirl around to mix them up with the butter. It's finished when it turns light brown and starts smelling nutty. It might be hard to tell when it's done by sight because of the chili, so you'll have to do it more by smell. I would err on the side of caution and use it underdone rather than burnt! It usually takes me 4-5 minutes to make. Pour directly onto the eggs and yogurt from the pan, or pour into a small dish if you're not ready to add the brown butter yet. It's important to transfer it out of the pan so it doesn't burn, since the pan will still be hot.
- Nestle the poached eggs into the yogurt mixtures. Pour the chili brown butter over them. Top with crispy shallots and additional herbs. Serve immediately.
- If you're making your own crispy shallots: cut the ends off of a shallot and peel it. Cut it in half length-wise, then finely chop into slivers.
- Heat an inch or so of oil (I used olive oil) in a sauce pan. When it's hot, add the shallots (carefully, so you don't get splashed with hot oil). When the shallots start to turn a golden color (2-3 minutes), immediately remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Shallots go from perfect to burnt and bitter SUPER fast, so you need to be quick!
Recommendations:
Eat with a quality bread you like. I use a baguette from my favorite bakery.
Have for a nice weekend vegetarian brunch when you want to try something new!
Enjoy with a cup of black tea loaded with sugar–Turkish-style!
More Breakfast Recipes:
Red curry eggs in purgatory is a quick, easy, and spicy vegetarian breakfast or brunch. It's simple and full of Thai flavor.