Merken Cilbir arrived in my kitchen on a grey morning when a friend texted a photo from Istanbul—two perfect eggs suspended in clouds of yogurt, with butter so golden it looked like liquid amber. I'd never heard of it before, but something about that image stayed with me. The next weekend, I decided to recreate it, and the moment that spiced butter hit the cool yogurt, I understood why she couldn't stop talking about it. It's one of those dishes that feels impossibly simple until you taste how each element transforms the others.
I made this for my partner on a Sunday when neither of us felt like a regular breakfast, and watching them dip bread into the broken yolks and yogurt mixture, I saw that moment where food becomes a small luxury. They asked if I'd learned this from somewhere fancy, and I had to laugh—I'd learned it from a text message and stubbornness.
Ingredients
- Greek Yogurt (1 cup, full-fat): Full-fat is non-negotiable here; it creates that silky base that thinner yogurts can't match, and it holds up to the heat of the butter without breaking.
- Garlic (1 small clove, minced): One clove is enough—it should whisper, not shout, in the background.
- Sea Salt: A pinch for the yogurt base, another for the poaching water; it quietly anchors everything.
- Eggs (4 large): The yolks are your sauce, so choose fresh eggs with bright, firm yolks.
- White Vinegar (1 tablespoon): This keeps the egg whites from spreading into feathery clouds; it's your secret weapon for neat poaching.
- Unsalted Butter (3 tablespoons): You need to see the browning, so unsalted is essential—salted butter hides that beautiful nutty color.
- Aleppo Pepper (1 teaspoon): If you can find it, use it; it has warmth and depth that chili flakes alone can't replicate, but a mix of paprika and mild chili works when you're in a pinch.
- Ground Cumin (1/2 teaspoon, optional): This adds earthiness that makes you wonder why more breakfast dishes don't include it.
- Fresh Dill (1 tablespoon, chopped): Dill's brightness cuts through the richness in a way that feels necessary, not decorative.
- Crusty Bread: Not optional in my kitchen—you need something to catch every drop of butter and broken yolk.
Instructions
- Build Your Base:
- Stir the minced garlic into the yogurt with a pinch of salt until it's completely smooth, then spread it onto two shallow bowls like you're painting a canvas. The thickness should be enough to cushion the eggs without looking sparse.
- Prepare Your Poaching Water:
- Fill a medium pan with about three inches of water, add the vinegar and a pinch of salt, then bring it to a gentle simmer—this is important, a rolling boil will tear the eggs apart. You'll know it's right when you see lazy bubbles, not aggressive ones.
- Poach the Eggs:
- Crack each egg into a small bowl first (this prevents shell fragments and gives you control). Swirl the water with a spoon to create a gentle whirlpool, then slide the egg into the center—the motion helps the white wrap around the yolk. After about two to three minutes, the whites will turn opaque and firm, but the yolk will still jiggle slightly when you nudge it with your spoon; that's exactly right.
- Brown Your Butter:
- While the eggs cook, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat and let it sit there, watching as it foams and then turns from pale yellow to deep golden. You'll smell something nutty and almost toasted—that's when you know it's done, usually two to three minutes. Don't walk away; butter can go from golden to burnt in the time it takes to blink.
- Bring It Together:
- Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain them briefly on paper towels so they're not waterlogged. Stir the Aleppo pepper and cumin into your brown butter, then nestle two eggs onto each yogurt base and pour that spiced butter over everything, letting it pool around the edges.
- Finish and Serve:
- Scatter the fresh dill across the top and serve immediately, while the butter is still warm and the yogurt is still cool. The contrast is the whole point.
Merken There's a moment when everything is perfectly timed—the eggs still steaming, the butter still foaming slightly, the yogurt cool beneath—where this dish feels less like breakfast and more like a small ceremony. It's the kind of meal that makes you want to slow down.
The Magic of Brown Butter
Brown butter is one of those techniques that sounds complicated but isn't, and once you understand it, you'll start adding it to everything. The milk solids that settle at the bottom are what give it that deep, nutty flavor that regular melted butter can't touch. In cilbir, it's not just a topping—it's the finishing note that makes the entire dish sing. I learned this by burning butter at least a dozen times before I figured out the timing, and now I can do it in my sleep.
Variations and Variations
Once you master the basic version, cilbir becomes a canvas. I've made it with sumac instead of Aleppo pepper on nights when I wanted something sharper, and I've added a squeeze of lemon juice to the yogurt when I wanted brightness. Some mornings, I've topped it with crispy sage leaves, and other times I've stirred a tiny bit of honey into the yogurt for a subtle sweetness. The structure stays the same, but the flavors can shift based on your mood and what's in your pantry.
Serving and Timing
This is a dish that demands to be eaten immediately, so have everything ready before you start poaching the eggs. The yogurt should be at room temperature, the plates should be warm (run them under hot water and dry them), and your bread should be sliced and ready. I learned this the hard way by poaching beautiful eggs only to watch them sit while I scrambled to plate everything, and by the time I served them, the magic had faded.
- Have all your ingredients prepped and within arm's reach before you start cooking.
- Warm your serving plates under hot water so they don't shock the yogurt with coldness.
- If you're making this for guests, do a practice run first so you know exactly how long your eggs need and can time the butter perfectly.
Merken Cilbir is proof that the simplest dishes often teach us the most. Every element here has a reason, and respecting that reason is what transforms breakfast into something memorable.
Rezept FAQ
- → Wie gelingt das perfekte Pochieren der Eier?
Verwenden Sie frische Eier und simulieren Sie im Wasser einen leichten Strudel, bevor Sie das Ei vorsichtig hineingleiten lassen. Die Kochzeit beträgt etwa 2-3 Minuten für einen flüssigen Kern.
- → Kann der Knoblauch im Joghurt ersetzt werden?
Ja, bei Bedarf können milde Alternativen wie Schalotten verwendet werden, um eine sanftere Aromatik zu erzielen.
- → Wie wird die braune Butter perfekt gewürzt?
Butter bei mittlerer Hitze goldbraun werden lassen, dann sofort mit Aleppo-Pfeffer, alternativ einer Mischung aus Paprika und milden Chili-Flocken, sowie etwas Kreuzkümmel verfeinern.
- → Welche Brotsorten passen am besten als Beilage?
Knuspriges Pide, Sauerteigbrot oder Pfannenfladen harmonieren ideal zum Tunken und runden den Geschmack ab.
- → Ist diese Zubereitung für Vegetarier geeignet?
Ja, alle Zutaten sind vegetarisch und auch glutenfrei, sofern auf Brot verzichtet wird oder glutenfreie Varianten gewählt werden.