Poached eggs with yoghurt and Aleppo-pepper butter

Yoghurt and eggs are a great combination, and the Aleppo-pepper butter adds a touch of heat. Look for the golden-crusted variety of Turkish bread rather than the super-soft white kind – it has a lot more flavour.

Prep time 20 mins, cook 15 mins (plus draining)

Serves 4 (pictured p94)

8 eggs

½ cup (loosely packed) coriander, coarsely chopped

½ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

½ cup (loosely packed) mint, coarsely chopped ¼ cup (loosely packed) dill, coarsely chopped 1 golden shallot, thinly shaved on a mandolin 1-2 pickled green chillies, thinly sliced crossways

1 tbsp lemon juice

500 gm plain Greek-style yoghurt

8 thick slices of Turkish bread, toasted Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Aleppo-pepper butter

50 gm butter, diced

1 tbsp Aleppo pepper (see note)

1 For Aleppo-pepper butter, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add Aleppo pepper, stir for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

2 Poach eggs in a saucepan of simmering water over medium-high heat until cooked to your liking (2½-3 minutes for soft-poached). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. 3 Meanwhile, combine herbs, shallot and chilli in a bowl, drizzle with lemon juice, season to taste and toss to combine.

4 Spoon yoghurt onto plates, top with eggs, drizzle with Aleppo-pepper butter, scatter with herb salad and serve with toasted Turkish bread. Note Aleppo pepper, a ground mild chilli, is available from Turkish grocers and online from herbies.com.au; if it’s unavailable substitute another mild chilli powder.

Anise fougasse

This bread is best made fresh and served straight from the oven, but it can be baked ahead and gently reheated. It’s delicious warm, slathered with butter and honey.

Prep time 20 mins, cook 15 mins (plus proving)

Serves 4 (pictured p95)

14 gm (2 sachets) dried yeast

75 ml milk, at room temperature

350 gm bread flour, plus extra for dusting 30 gm raw caster sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

2 tsp whole aniseed (see note), ground with a mortar and pestle

70 gm butter, softened, plus extra melted for brushing

Eggwash (see cook’s notes p177), for brushing

Raw honey and cultured butter, to serve 1 Dissolve yeast in milk in a small bowl and set aside until creamy on top. Combine flour and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add eggs, oil, aniseed and yeast mixture, and knead on medium speed until smooth and elastic (5-10 minutes). Gradually add softened butter, mixing continuously until incorporated. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1½-2 hours).

2 Knock back dough, then divide in half. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a rough 20cm x 10cm rectangle. Cut slits in bread and gently pull apart to open slightly, then transfer to trays (or a single large tray) lined with baking paper, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1 hour).

3 Preheat oven to 200C. Brush bread with eggwash, dust lightly with flour, and bake until dark golden (12-15 minutes; if you’re using two oven trays, swap them halfway through cooking). Serve fougasse warm with butter and honey.

Note Whole aniseed is available from select delicatessens, independent grocers and Herbie’s Spices (herbies.com.au).