Turkish eggs: çilbir
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of heat in the morning (or, um, the afternoon at the weekend). As far as we’re concerned, this dish with eggs, red pepper flakes and cooling yoghurt from the book ONTBIJT is a perfect weekend breakfast.
Mara: ‘Nobody knows exactly who came up with it, but apparently the Ottoman sultans were already being served çilbir in the fifteenth century. Even today, this breakfast of poached eggs with yoghurt, garlic and dill is widely eaten in Turkey. I prefer to replace the poached eggs with fried eggs, not only because it’s easier, but also because I like them better.’
How to make çilbir
Fry the eggs in 1 tablespoon of butter in a reasonably small, preferably slightly deep frying pan. Meanwhile, heat
the yoghurt with the dill, garlic and a little salt. At the same time, heat the remaining butter with pul biber and let it melt and brown gently, but definitely do not let it burn.
Spoon the warm yoghurt over the eggs and pour the melted butter over the top. Finally, sprinkle with some sumac, which may not be traditional but is very tasty thanks to its fresh, sour flavour. Serve with pide.
Title: ONTBIJT
Author: Mara Grimm
Price: €25
Publisher: Carrera
Image: Saskia van Osnabrugge
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