Sucuklu Yumurta
Sucuklu Yumurta·(soo-jook-loo yoo-moor-tah)
Kahvaltı (The Sprawling Weekend Morning)
The skillet hisses on the burner as coins of beef sucuk hit hot butter, flooding the air with garlic and cumin before the eggs even drop. The cured meat needs only a minute in a hot pan to toast the spices and render its bright, paprika-stained fat, creating the perfect pool for gently cooked eggs. This is not a dish to overcomplicate. Serve it directly in the skillet, ready to be ruthlessly scooped up with a torn hunk of fresh, crusty bread.
Before you start
Peel the casing off the sucuk before slicing.
Whether natural or synthetic, the casing will not break down in the pan and ruins the texture of the finished dish. If the skin proves stubborn, run the sausage under warm tap water for ten seconds and it will slip right off.
Ingredients
- Turkish kangal sucuk4 oz
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- water2 tbsp
- eggs3 large
- coarse sea salt1/4 tsp
- pul biber1/4 tsp
- dried oregano1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a nine-inch skillet until it foams gently.
A cast iron, carbon steel, or non-stick skillet all work beautifully to carry this straight to the table.
- 02
Arrange the sucuk slices in a single layer and pour the water into the pan.
Let the water simmer away; it will gently steam and plump the dry-cured sausage before the fat begins to fry.
- 03
Sear the sucuk for no more than forty-five seconds per side until the edges curl and the butter turns a vibrant sunset red.
Do not overcook the meat. Sucuk is already cured and safe to eat; you only want to wake up the spices and melt the fat before the sausage turns to rubber.
- 04
Nudge the sausage slightly to create gaps and crack the eggs directly into the red butter.
Using the tip of a spatula or a fork, gently agitate the thickest parts of the egg whites to help them cook evenly, ensuring you do not puncture the yolks.
- 05
Sprinkle the egg whites with salt, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook on low for one to two minutes.
The trapped steam sets the tops of the whites perfectly while keeping the yolks warm and runny. Remember that the sucuk is heavily cured, so never salt the meat itself.
- 06
Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with pul biber and oregano, and serve immediately.
If using cast iron, pull it from the stove a minute early so the residual heat doesn't overcook the yolks.
Notes
Sourcing authentic sucuk is essential to achieving the homeland flavor.
Look for "kangal sucuk" at a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean grocer, as it is rarely found in standard American supermarkets. It freezes exceptionally well, so keep a few rings in the freezer for impromptu weekend feasts.
From Cook Turkish in America.