Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
The combination of warm spiced butter and cold yoghurt with a poached egg is indulgent and perfect, only made better by smearing it on crunchy buttered sourdough toast. This recipe is essentially a hybrid of our two favourite versions of this dish – Peter Gordon’s Turkish Eggs and the Çilbir Eggs from Honey Bones Café in Grey Lynn. The unique nutty flavour of the butter as it begins to brown makes this a knockout breakfast dish.
For the garlic yoghurt
- 250g (1 cup) plain yoghurt, at room temperature
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
For the spiced butter
- 50g butter
- 2 tsp sumac
- 2 tsp Aleppo chilli
- 2 tsp Zingy Za’atar
For the eggs
- 8 eggs
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
To serve
- 1-2 slices toasted sourdough per person
- Chopped flat leaf parsley or dill fronds
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil for poaching the eggs. In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and garlic. Season and set aside.
Heat the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. When the butter starts to foam add the spices. Keep swirling the pan for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Divide the yoghurt among four warmed, small bowls.
Add the vinegar to the poaching water. Drop the eggs into the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the eggs for around four minutes, depending on the size of the eggs, until the whites are set and the yolk is soft.
Put two drained eggs into each bowl. Give the butter a good stir and spoon over the top. Scatter with the herbs and serve with toast on the side.
Zingy Za’atar
Makes about 65g (⅔ cup)
Prep time 15 minutes
Za’atar is an essential Middle Eastern sprinkle which we cook with, like a flavoured salt. Each region has a signature recipe and flavour, but it always has a base of dried herbs, sesame seeds, sumac and salt. It’s the ultimate seasoning and is delicious on fresh tomatoes.
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to two months.
Recipe from Fatimas by Kirsty Senior and Sophie Gilmour, photography by Vanessa Wu. Published by Beatnik. RRP $59.99.
