Poached Eggs with Mint Yogurt and Aleppo Butter
This is my take on Turkish eggs—poached eggs nestled on a bed of herb enhanced Greek yogurt and topped with spicy Aleppo butter. I credit Allrecipes.com for the Aleppo butter here; their recipe offers a perfect mix of Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika and cumin. If you have not yet tried Aleppo pepper, this is a good recipe to start with. Aleppo offers complex flavors; rich earthiness, gentle smokiness and some heat. It’s available at middle eastern stores, or order online from Penzeys Spices or Amazon. Be certain to serve the eggs with toast, pita bread or toasted corn tortillas to soak up the lavish flavors; asparagus or broccoli make good accompaniments. Save any leftover sauce to spoon over cooked fish, vegetables or potatoes.
Ingredients
Aleppo Butter
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Mint Yogurt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, any percentage fat
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- ½ shallot, minced, or 2 tablespoon minced red onion
- 2 teaspoons chopped red chile or serrano or jalapeño chile
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Poached Eggs
- 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Pinch of coarse kosher salt
- 2 to 4 large eggs
- Toast or toasted corn tortillas
Instructions
Aleppo Butter
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until bubbles begin to burst. Add the Aleppo pepper, paprika and cumin and stir until the butter is wonderfully fragrant and reddish. Remove from the heat and let the spices infuse.
Mint Yogurt
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and oil. Place the mint, shallot and fresh chile on your cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Mince everything together (this technique helps bring out the flavors). Add to the yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the yogurt between 2 plates. Use the back of a spoon to spread out the mixture and create ridges to catch the butter and eggs.
Poached Eggs
- Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar and a big pinch of salt. Adjust the heat so the water simmers. Working with one egg at a time, break into a cup and gently slip into the water, holding the cup close to or even just under the surface of the water. Quickly repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook until the whites are firm and yolks cooked as you like, about 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs one at a time from the water and touch the bottom of the spoon to a clean kitchen towel to remove water, then gently place the eggs onto the yogurt. Spoon the butter over and around the eggs. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and serve with toast or corn tortillas.