This is eggs Benedict borrowing a few ideas from çılbır, the Turkish dish of poached eggs over garlic yogurt. Here the garlic yogurt is folded into a warm butter and yolk sauce, so it stays thick and yellow like hollandaise.
Soft poached eggs sit on toasted whole-wheat English muffins, the sauce goes over the top, and dill, red pepper flakes and pickled red onion finish each plate.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasteurized eggs
- Four shell eggs for poaching and two yolks for the sauce, all pasteurized because the yolks stay soft.
- Greek yogurt and garlic
- Two tablespoons of yogurt with a quarter of a small clove, grated finely.
- Pickled red onion
- A third of a cup, adding colour and sharpness on top.
How to Make It
Garlic yogurt mixed
Whisk the Greek yogurt with the grated garlic and set it aside.
Yogurt hollandaise whisked
Whisk the pasteurized yolks with the lemon juice over gentle heat until slightly thickened. Slowly whisk in the warm butter, then fold in the garlic yogurt and salt for a thick yellow sauce.
Eggs poached soft
Bring a saucepan of water to a bare simmer and poach the pasteurized eggs until the whites are set and the yolks stay soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Eggs set on muffins
Put the toasted English muffin halves on plates and top each with a poached egg.
Sauced and garnished
Spoon over the yogurt hollandaise and finish with dill, red pepper flakes and pickled red onion.
Making the Yogurt Hollandaise
A small batch, built in stages over gentle heat.
Yolks and lemon
Whisked until slightly thickened2 pasteurized yolks and 1 tbsp lemon juice
The emulsion base.
Butter
Added slowly6 tbsp warm melted butter
Richness and the thick, yellow body.
Garlic yogurt
2 tbsp Greek yogurt with grated garlic
Tang and a garlicky edge.
Salt
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Seasoning to finish.
Then tasteSpoon straight over the poached eggs; do not keep it warm for long.
Serving Ideas
Serve two muffin halves per plate straight away, with extra pickled red onion on the side.
Why This Recipe Works
- Whisking the yolks with lemon over gentle heat thickens them before the butter goes in, so the sauce holds.
- Folding garlic yogurt into the finished sauce adds tang without thinning the hollandaise.
- Red pepper flakes and dill echo the chili and herbs of çılbır, while pickled onion cuts the richness.
Success Tips
- Pour the melted butter into the yolks in a thin stream; adding it too fast can split the Benedict sauce.
- Keep the poaching water at a bare simmer so the egg whites set neatly around the soft yolks.
- Toast the English muffins while the eggs poach so everything reaches the plate warm together.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Serve the sauce promptly and do not hold it warm for long. Poached eggs and the sauce are not suited to storing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a Turkish çılbır?
No. It is an eggs Benedict fusion that takes garlic yogurt, dill and chili flakes as inspiration.
Why pasteurized eggs?
The poached yolks stay soft and the sauce is made with egg yolks, so pasteurized eggs are used.
