Çilbir

Smoky, spiced butter over soft eggs and yoghurt, mopped up with a crisp slice of sourdough. An ideal brunch dish, çilbir has all the right elements to satisfy.

Note: poached eggs don't always go right, so if you are unsure of your poaching skills, a soft boiled egg will do the trick. This recipe is easily adjusted to suit your needs and skills.

Ingredients:

Eggs, however many you want to eat
White vinegar, a dash per egg
Parsley to garnish
Pepper
Salt
Paprika
Toasted sourdough

Herb yoghurt:

Greek yoghurt or labneh
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
Fresh herbs of your choice, dill is traditional but mint and parsley are nice
Pepper
Salt
Garlic, minced or grated

Chilli butter:

Butter
Thinly sliced garlic
Thinly sliced shallots
Aleppo chilli or other chilli
Paprika

Method:

Begin with the yoghurt; add all the ingredients to it, salting in moderation. Rest in the fridge until plating.
Heat up your butter slightly and add the chilli, paprika, shallots and garlic. Adding them early on lets them infuse into the butter. You can brown the butter if you’re in the mood for an extra step. Let the aromatics cook until the garlic and shallots are crisp, but not burnt. They can turn quickly, so keep a close eye.
Lastly, the eggs, probably the scariest part. Even if they don’t end up properly poached, they’ll still be eggs. Crack each egg in to separate bowls.
Simmer some water in a pot. Don’t let it boil. Add vinegar
Swirl the water to create a vortex, and gently drop an egg into the centre. Don’t touch the egg or the temperature (unless the bubbles get too aggressive). Let it cook for a few minutes.
Remove from the water and place on paper towel to drain. Repeat with each egg and give them some time to dry off.
To plate, spread the yoghurt on a plate, place the eggs on top in whatever arrangement your heart desires, and drizzle with the spiced butter. Garnish with parsley. Eat with toast.