Latin “Turkish” Eggs

I have never ever had Turkish eggs, I see them being cooked on my social media feeds all the time and they look so incredibly delicious.

They basically consist of greek yogurt seasoned with raw garlic, salt and pepper and topped with a luxurious blend of melted butter infused with fresh herbs and spices. Top this with perfectly poached eggs that cut through the yogurt and create a most incredible blend between the yolk, the yogurt and the butter and herb blend. My goodness! They serve it with crusty bread which creates the perfect bite when dunked.

I’ve been on a hunt for a restaurant that serves Turkish Eggs in my area, unfortunately I haven’t found any. With my Instagram feed making me drool on the daily with how-to videos of Turkish Eggs, I decided I’ll just give them a go myself!

Here’s the deal though… After constantly forgetting to grab the correct spices for it, I searched my spice cabinet found everything I needed to make these eggs with a Latin twist. Same concept, different ingredients!

One thing I did do differently is cook the garlic in the oil/butter mixture. This is a personal preference for me, as I really dislike the flavor of raw garlic and onion so I avoid it as much as I can in ALL recipes. The flavor is still there but the pungent after-taste of raw garlic isn’t. If you prefer it raw, by all means, go for it!

How I made these Latin “Turkish” Eggs:

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, plain greek yogurt, lime zest and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Set aside.

Chop all the herbs and garlic prior to starting any of the cooking process.

In a small sauté pan, melt the butter and olive oil.

Quickly add the minced garlic, scallions, paprika, chipotle powder, cumin, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Allow all the ingredients to mingle for a few seconds then and remove from the heat. Once away from the heat, add a tablespoon of fresh cilantro.

Set aside.

Tip! The purpose is to infuse the butter and oil, not to cook the scallions and garlic, that is why this process is quick.

In a medium sauce pan, bring some salted water to a simmer.

Tip! My unconventional way of poaching eggs is a bit risky, so use kitchen mittens to protect your hand if you’re not used to handling hot food with your hands.

Once the water reaches a nice little simmer, not a crazy boil, stir the water around a few times to make a swirl to go round and round.

Using a small glass or heat resistant bowl, scoop out some of the salted water, about 2 tablespoons.

Crack your egg into the hot water in the small bowl.

Allow the egg to sit in the water for a second of two.

Tip! This allows the eggs to start cooking and become unified.

Slowly and carefully add the egg into the simmering swirling water. Follow the current as you slowly drop the egg.

Repeat the same motion with the rest of the eggs.

Tip! Using a slotted spoon, scrape the surface of the now boiling water to remove any foam that accumulated on the top, discard this foam.

Tip! To test the done-ness of the eggs, scoop one at a time and gently use your finger to poke the yolk (without popping it!)to test how hard it has gotten.

For a very runny yolk and slight runny egg white, cook for 2 minutes or so. The yolk should feel very bouncy and soft, like you can easily pop it with your finger.

For a runny yolk but all the way cooked egg whites, cook for about 3 minutes. Again, gently scoop out the egg and very softly poke the yolk (without popping it!). It should feel a bit harder but still bouncy and soft.

For a more cooked yolk, cook the eggs close to 3 minutes. At this point the outer layer of the yolk will be significantly harder to the touch, almost no bounce.

For a completely cooked yolk, cook the eggs for 4 minutes. The yolk, will be completely hardened to the touch.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the eggs out of the water and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to help absorb the excess water.

Butter and grill some slices of crunchy crusty bread. I prefer to do this on a small pan.

How I plated these Latin Turkish Eggs:

Scoop some of the yogurt sour cream blend onto a plate.

Place two poached eggs on top of the yogurt mixture.

Drizzle some of the butter spice blend on top of the eggs

Slice 1/4 of an avocado. Sprinkle some fresh cilantro and squeeze a bit of lime juice all over.

Serve with buttered toasted bread.