Turkish Eggs with Labneh

I first had this dish at a little brunch place in Dublin (I know, not very Middle Eastern) about 2 years ago. Since then, I have become obsessed. I am using the term "Turkish Eggs" loosely, meaning poached eggs on some kind of seasoned garlicky yogurt. Of course, there are tons of variations and this recipe may not be the most traditional, but it certainly is delicious, and comes together in less than 20 minutes.

I know that poaching an egg can be very intimidating but I promise it is much easier than you would think. If you have one of those little silicone egg poachers, feel free to use it but in my opinion, those tools make the whites too solid and you don't quite get the traditional poached egg shape.

Labneh is very similar to plain Greek yogurt, albeit a bit thicker and tangier. It has some of that same probiotic taste of kefir that makes it excellent with savory ingredients. You can easily find it at any Middle Eastern market but feel free to use plain Greek yogurt if that is what you have on hand.

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 8 oz labneh

• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced

• 1 -2 tbsp tarragon, packed

• 1 tbsp flat Italian parsley, packed

• 4 eggs

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 10-12 cherry tomatoes

• Paprika

• Cumin

• Salt and pepper

• Markouk, pita, bazlama or other flatbread

• 1 tbsp white or rice vinegar (for poaching)

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, add labneh, lemon juice, and pressed garlic and whisk together with a fork. More than just combining the ingredients, you are looking for the labne to take on a more whipped texture. You will see after a few minutes of whisking that the surface of the labneh becomes shinier - that is what you are looking for. You will need to whisk for at least 5 minutes, maybe more

2. Mince the tarragon and parsley and combine, add most of the mixture to the labneh

3. Add a pinch of cumin, a pinch of paprika, and salt and pepper to taste

4. Poach your eggs! If you are comfortable poaching eggs, do whatever you normally do. Otherwise, follow my directions:

   1. In a medium small pan, add about 1 1/2 inch of water over high heat

   2. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or rice wine vinegar to the water. You will not be able to taste this, but it helps the egg whites congeal

   3. Once the water is boiling (a slow, rumbling boil), add the eggs one at a time, cracking the egg and dropping it into the water from just above the pan, taking care to space the eggs as best you can. You can also crack the eggs into a small ramekin first and then pour into the water to unsure you don't break your yolk

   4. Once all eggs are in the pan, cook for 3-4 minutes for a nice runny yolk. Occasionally, using a spoon, splash some of the water over the tops of your eggs to make sure they are evenly cooked

   5. Remove with a slotted spoon

5. Cut your cherry tomatoes into quarters

6. Using a spoon, spread your yogurt mixture over the bottom of two bowls

7. Add the poached eggs on top of the yogurt, top with the remaining fresh herbs and a dash of paprika for color. Arrange cherry tomatoes in the bowl

8. Serve with warmed flatbread like markouk or pita or even a crusty sourdough slice