Sucuk and Eggs (Turkish Sucuklu Yumurta)

Have you heard of the famous Turkish breakfast? It is generous, savory, and built around sharing, with warm dishes arriving at the table alongside fresh bread. Sucuk and eggs is one of the plates that often anchors it, cooked simply in one pan and served while everything is still hot.

Sucuk is a dry-cured Turkish beef sausage seasoned with garlic, paprika, and spices. As it cooks, it releases its richly spiced fat into the pan, which gently cooks the eggs and gives them their flavor.

When sucuk is not available, chorizo, merguez, or another well-seasoned cured sausage can be used by following the same method. The outcome will be different, but still satisfying. Sucuk has a particular balance of spice and garlic that is difficult to replicate exactly.

This dish is meant to be eaten with plenty of bread, used to scoop up the eggs and soak up the spiced oil left in the pan.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs

• 10–12 slices of sucuk (Turkish spicy beef sausage)

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Dried thyme, optional

• Pinch of chili flakes, optional

• Fresh bread, for serving

Instructions

Cook the sucuk

Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sucuk slices to a dry pan in a single layer. No oil is needed. Let them cook gently until they release their fat and the edges start to curl and brown lightly. Turn once if needed.

Lower the heat

Once the sucuk is nicely colored, reduce the heat to low or medium-low. This helps keep the eggs tender.

Add the eggs

Crack the eggs directly into the pan, spacing them between the sausage slices. Let them cook slowly in the rendered sucuk fat. If you prefer softer whites, loosely cover the pan for the last minute or two.

Finish and serve

Cook until the whites are just set and the yolks are still soft, or longer if you prefer firmer eggs. Remove the pan from the heat. Season with freshly ground black pepper and a small pinch of dried thyme. Add chili flakes if using. Serve immediately with fresh bread.

Tips

• Sucuk is already salty and spiced, so additional seasoning should be minimal.

• Keeping the heat low after adding the eggs prevents tough whites.

• This dish is best eaten straight from the pan.