Eggs Panagiurski style – Iaica po Panagyurski

Today I share with you a recipe from Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian cuisine is hearty, tasty and not for the faint hearted. I just love it.

One of the dishes that has walked straight into my belly and heart and mind, because it is truly honestly soulfood, is the eggs made in the town of Panagyurishte, 91 km east of the capital Sofia.

My good friend “A” reminded me of the dish and I dedicate this post to her.

Here it comes.

Take yogurt made of sheep’s and or goat’s milk, not strained, so that it still has the whey in it. The sour taste of the unstrained yogurt is the key to the success of the dish.

Spread the yogurt on a flat dish and add on top some feta cheese.

Poach the eggs, and warm in a pan some olive oil with chopped garlic and dry red chili pepper flakes.

It is very important that the oil is warm, not hot. We do not want to fry, we want to unleash the flavors.

This is why in a deviation from the original recipe, I add the chopped garlic in the warm oil.

Because it unleashes the flavor and aroma of the garlic. The original recipe calls for raw garlic.

Another deviation form the original is the use of olive oil. The original recipe calls for butter.

Serve the poached eggs on top of the layer of yogurt and feta, and then pour the warm olive oil with the garlic and the chili flakes on top.

I cannot describe well enough the harmony and the intensity of the flavors of the dish.

Eat with a soup spoon. Make sure that in each spoonful you have a bit of everything. Egg, garlic, chili, yogurt, feta and a bit of olive oil.

Put the spoon ful in your mouth in its totality. No half measures.

Close your mouth once the goods are in, and “listen” to them. Let them tak to you before they are dispatched to your stomach.

Once the talking is done, your palate should be resonating with the flavors and the aromas.

When you have this sense, it is time to gently help the food to follow the path to the stomach. I insist on gently, because the trip to the stomach must not be rushed.

Enjoy it!!!