Turkish-style eggs with tomato and paprika sauce

Today I propose a recipe with eggs that I think is delicious; a Turkish-inspired dish that is a wonderful display of flavors and aromas , with some very interesting contrasts. For me, the egg is an essential ingredient and I love it cooked in every way imaginable, but I assure you that this version of çilbir or Turkish-style eggs with tomato sauce and paprika has come into my life to stay.

Cilbir is a traditional Turkish dish served for breakfast, consisting of poached eggs placed on a thick yogurt base and seasoned with melted butter flavored with spices. The dish is served accompanied with a few slices of freshly baked bread, perfect for the wonderful "mojete" that arises from this combination.

If as such it is already a delight, served with a cherry tomato sauce (or any other sweet tomato variety) and a few pear cherries sautéed with paprika butter, the dish is sublime. The most complex part of the recipe could be poaching the eggs so that they are cooked to perfection, but with the Le Creuset Inox Sauté with poached egg accessory, preparing perfect poached eggs takes very little time and, furthermore, with the result that is want on every occasion.

If you feel like having a divine breakfast, here is the recipe for Turkish-style eggs with tomato sauce and paprika . Enjoy it!

Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped or pressed
• 30 ml olive oil
• 5 g smoked paprika
• 50g butter
• 200 g fresh pear cherry tomatoes
• 800 g grated or crushed cherry tomato (or pear or sweet tomato)
• 100-150 ml of water*
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 15 ml sherry vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To accompany:

• Thick natural yogurt
• fresh watercress
• 50 g finely grated Parmesan cheese

*You can use canned grated or crushed natural tomatoes or grind them yourself at home. If you see that it contains a lot of water, you can omit the water from the recipe ingredients or add less.

Preparation

1. Heat a little oil in a low saucepan-type cocotte over medium heat and gently fry the chopped garlic for one minute.
2. Add the butter and smoked paprika, cooking until the butter melts.
3. Add the fresh cherry tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes, stirring gently, until cooked.
4. Remove all the cooked tomatoes and reserve them until serving time.
5. Add the grated or crushed tomato to the saucepan to cook with the remaining butter and also add the water.
6. Cook over low heat and let it reduce and thicken for about 15-20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, poach the eggs in the Le Creuset Stainless Steel Sauté with Poached Egg Accessory to your liking.
8. Season the sauce to taste and add a splash of sherry vinegar.
9. Add the poached eggs to the warm sauce and allow to heat through.
10. Arrange the thick yogurt in deep plates or bowls .
11. Remove the saucepan from the heat and spread the hot eggs and cherry tomato sauce on each plate, over the yogurt.
12. Top with fresh watercress and cherry tomatoes cooked with the reserved butter and paprika.
    
13. Sprinkle a little grated cheese and serve with some toasted homemade bread and season to taste.

Grades

• If you prefer, you can season the tomato sauce to your liking: with a little rosemary or thyme powder, with fresh basil, adding more garlic or onion if you like, or sautéing some vegetables to make it as a ratatouille.
• You can also replace half of the water with white wine or cognac. If you see that the crushed tomato has a lot of water, you can omit the water from the recipe or add less.
• When you are going to poach the eggs, you can season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper, with any other pepper or add a little parsley or your favorite aromatic to give them a different flavor. You can also add a little grated cheese and, when it sets, the flavor of the cheese will be integrated into the egg.
  Recipe author: Le Creuset