Ozlem Warren – Cilbir

Profile Ozlem Warreb Live Encounters Magazine September 2017

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Cilbir, Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish style by Ozlem Warren, Turkish Culinary Expert.  www.ozlemsturkishtable.com

Ozlem’s Turkish Table – Cookery Book Survey

Ozlem is in the midst of planning a Turkish Cookery Book which will focus on the healthy, easy to make, delicious recipes of her homeland, Turkey. The book she is planning will be a collection of both recipes and her personal stories-  with a special emphasis on the relatively unknown dishes of Southern Turkey, which will sit alongside some of the more traditional Turkish and Eastern Mediterranean classics.

She would be very grateful if you could fill in the survey with your honest, valuable feedback.  The survey will take less than a minute to complete and is completely anonymous.

Here’s the link to Ozlem’s Turkish Cookery Book Survey : https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/K8WQM9J

As a thank you, if you leave your name and email address at the end of the survey, you will be entitled to a 10% discount when the book is published. Ozlem would be more than happy to send you a signed copy!

And now to my recipe ….

We Turks love eggs done many different ways; one of our favorite ways to enjoy egg is as being poached and served over garlic yoghurt, a special dish called Cilbir, in Turkish. Cilbir is generally enjoyed as a hot mezze though I like serving as lunch or a light supper, along with a refreshing salad like Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions and some pide bread or crusty bread.

I also like to prepare a simple red pepper flakes infused olive oil sauce and pour this over the poached eggs with garlic yoghurt, just before serving. The delicious heat from the red pepper flakes complements the dish beautifully.

I hope you enjoy this simple yet very satisfying dish, Afiyet Olsun. Also, my very best wishes for a wonderful festive season to you all, in good health and happiness.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style – Cilbir. Pic © Ozlem Warren

Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt, Turkish Style – Cilbir. Pic © Ozlem Warren

Bodrum Turkey photograph by fumingly, Pixabay
Bodrum Turkey photograph by fumingly, Pixabay

Serves 2 people 

Ingredients:

• 1 small garlic clove, crushed and chopped finely
• 1 cup / 8 fl. oz. plain thick yoghurt, brought to room temperature
• 2 large free range eggs
• 30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 30 ml / 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish pul biber, red pepper flakes or chili flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Pide bread or crusty bread to serve

Instructions

1. Prepare the garlic yoghurt first – about 10, 15 minutes before poaching the eggs – and bring to the room temperature.

2. In a small bowl, beat the yoghurt with garlic and seasoning. Spoon this into two serving plates, creating a round thick layer to provide a nest for the poached egg. Let the yoghurt mixture reach the room temperature.

3. Fill a small pan with hot water, add the vinegar (this will help sealing the egg whites) and bring to a boil. Stir the water to create a whirlpool and crack in the first egg.

4. As the egg spins and the white sets around the yolk, stir the water ready for the next one. Poach each egg for 2-3 minutes so that the yolk remains soft.

5. While the eggs are poaching, quickly pour in the olive oil in a small pan and stir in the Turkish pul biber, red pepper flakes or chili flakes, over medium to high heat. Stir and let the red pepper flakes infuse to olive oil for a few minutes, turn the heat off.

6. Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them over the garlic yoghurt spread.

7. Drizzle the red pepper flakes infused olive oil over the poached eggs. Serve immediately with pide bread or crusty bread by the side.

8. Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions would also go well with this delicious poached eggs over garlic yoghurt, Cilbir; Afiyet Olsun.


© Ozlem Warren