Turkish Çılbır Eggs with Garlic Yogurt

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Take the yogurt out of the refrigerator and stir it with the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let it sit at room temperature while you cook, because cold yogurt under a hot egg is the most common way this dish fails.
2. Bring a wide saucepan of water to a bare simmer, with just a few bubbles breaking the surface. A rolling boil shreds the egg whites.
3. Crack each egg into a small cup first, then slide it gently into the water. Poach for 3 minutes, until the whites are fully set and opaque and the yolks still move when nudged.
4. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and rest them briefly on a paper towel to drain, so the water does not thin the yogurt.
5. Melt the butter or oil in a small pan over medium heat until it foams and just starts to smell nutty, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the Aleppo pepper. It should sizzle and stain the butter red immediately; leaving it over the flame will scorch it black and bitter within seconds.
7. Spread the garlic yogurt across two warm plates and set the drained eggs on top.
8. Pour the hot pepper butter over the eggs, scatter with the onion and fresh herbs, and serve at once with the toasted bread and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains gluten, dairy and egg.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.