I recently tried my first deviled egg. I’d always avoided them like the plague because I knew that their suspicious filling involved mayonnaise. And I just cannot abide by that. But not too long ago (though it feels like forever after 3 months of quarantine), a friend convinced me to try one. The restaurant that was serving them didn’t use any mayo, so I begrudgingly said fine. Lo and behold, it was pretty good! And because I’m never not thinking up new recipes, I wondered how I could put my own spin on this classic dish. And then it hit me. I could make Turkish deviled eggs!
Turkish eggs (or cilbir) are a true delight. And as an added bonus, they take me back to my 24 hours in Istanbul. (Oh how I miss being able to travel. And also just leave my house and be amongst people.) Typically, the dish involves a yogurt base that’s topped with poached eggs, Aleppo pepper oil or butter, and herbs. The yogurt was my in, as I could use it as a stand in for my mortal enemy, mayo. In truth, the filling is nothing fancy. It’s the Aleppo butter and herbs that make this dish. That same duo also makes these deviled eggs look wonderfully striking, which is an extra win in my book.
If you want to keep things super simple, you can use pre-boiled eggs. On that same note, you can skip delicately piping the filling into your eggs. Though it wouldn’t change the taste at all, I wouldn’t recommend that second option, as globby deviled egg filling makes my stomach turn. But that’s just me. But y’know, you do you.
Turkish Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 Hard boiled eggs (Use whatever boiling method you'd like!)
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 Clove garlic, minced
- A pinch of Sumac
- Salt and freshly ground pepper (To taste)
- 1/4 tsp White wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Lemon
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/8 cup Chopped mint (Loosely packed)
- 1/8 cup Chopped parsley (Loosely packed)
- 1/8 cup Chopped dill (Loosely packed)
Instructions
- Cut the eggs in half (whichever direction you choose is fine, but lengthwise will result in a more uniform product). Then scoop the yolks out and put them in a small bowl.
- Add the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, sumac, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, a splash of lemon juice (one squeeze of a wedge is good), salt and pepper to the bowl with the yolks and mash it all up with a fork until it's smooth and nicely combined.
- Add the yolk mixture to a piping bag (if you don't have one, a plastic bag with the tip cut off will do just fine) equipped with whatever piping tip you like best. Then, carefully pipe them into the dents in your halved egg whites.
- Add the butter to a small saucepan and cook over medium until it just starts to brown. Then, quickly remove from heat and add the olive oil and aleppo pepper flakes. Stir to combine and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Once the aleppo butter has cooled down a bit, spoon some over each deviled egg. I like to include a bit of the pepper sediment for added taste and texture. Then, sprinkle chopped mint, parsley, and dill on top. Finish it off with a generous lemon squeeze, and serve!
And there you have it! An easy, but impressive looking snack to bring to your next picnic or bbq. Or to gorge on in the privacy of your own home. If you end up making this, let me know in the comments or on Instagram! I always love hearing from you and seeing how your creations turn out.
Omg this is amazing! The Turks really know how to do breakfast and this is such a cool take on cilbir; which is my favorite breakfast. I cannot wait to try this.
-Valerie
Thanks so much Valerie! I hope you love it!
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