Menemen Recipes

MENEMEN (TURKISH SCRAMBLED EGGS)

Steps:

• Sauce: Roughly chop the peppers by slicing off the tops, then cut strips lengthwise around the core. Dice strips, discarding the core with some of the rib and most of the seeds. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, a pinch of salt, tomato paste, harissa, Maras (or Aleppo) pepper, and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the scallions and add to the peppers when they're soft, after about 3 minutes.
• Halve tomatoes crosswise and pull out some of the seeds. Put a box grater in a bowl and grate the tomatoes over the largest holes until all that's left is the flattened tomato skin. Stir grated tomatoes into the peppers along with the remaining tablespoon of oil and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce is thickened, 3-4 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• Eggs: Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt. Set aside. Stir parsley and remaining tablespoon of butter into the pepper-tomato mixture. Slowly pour in the eggs, stopping and stirring in 4 additions. The eggs will scramble right away but also make the sauce creamy. Stir until eggs are still slightly runny but set, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest (eggs will continue cooking) while you prepare the garnish.
• Assembly: Thinly slice cucumbers on a mandoline. Set aside. Untwist string cheese, pulling it apart into thin strands. Set aside. Spoon eggs evenly into pita bread. Garnish with string cheese and cucumbers (or leave on the side) and enjoy like a breakfast burrito.

MENEMEN RECIPE - TURKISH SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Add a small glug of sunflower oil to a frying pan and heat gently.
• First of all, add your onions and sauté for a few minutes until they become translucent.
• Now add your green pepper and stir for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
• Now stir in your chopped tomato and add your herbs and spices and salt and pepper.
• Simmer over a low heat until your tomato cooks down to form a thick tomato sauce.
• Crack your eggs into the pan and stir them until they are scrambled into the mixture.
• Remove from the heat and garnish with your parsley.
• Serve alone or as part of a larger breakfast.

TURKISH ONE-PAN EGGS & PEPPERS (MENEMEN)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Stir in the onions, pepper and chillies. Cook until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes and sugar, mixing well. Cook until the liquid has reduced, season.
• Using a wooden spoon, create 4 pockets in the tomato mixture and crack the eggs into them. Cover the pan and cook the eggs over a low heat until just set.
• Beat the yogurt with the garlic and season. Sprinkle the menemen with parsley and serve from the frying pan with a dollop of the garlic-flavoured yogurt.

MENEMEN (TURKISH SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TOMATO)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a nonstick medium skillet over medium-high. Add the onion, oregano and Aleppo pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• While the onions and peppers are cooking, purée half the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Once the onions and peppers are soft, add the remaining chopped tomatoes to the onions and peppers. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, add the puréed tomatoes and whisk until foamy.
• Once the mixture in the skillet comes to a simmer, stir in the 1/4 cup parsley and the butter, if using. Reduce heat to low, add the egg mixture on top and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are set but still soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste, adding a little more salt, oregano or Aleppo pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve directly from the skillet, with flatbread alongside.

MENEMEN

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a pan. Add in chopped onion, green peppers, garlic slices and saute until onions get soften.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and salt to the mix and simmer all for about 3 minutes with stirring frequently until tomatoes soften.
• Break the eggs on to the mix and add the ground pepper and red hot chili pepper flakes on top of the egg yolks and then close the lid. Cook about 10 minutes and then serve in the pan.

MENEMEN RECIPE (TURKISH SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil (or butter).
• Add the onion and peppers and cook them down about 5 minutes, until softened.
• Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook another minute.
• Add the tomatoes with a bit of salt and pepper and stir them up. Cook them down until the tomatoes soften and lose some of their juices. Don't let the pan dry out. About 10 minutes or so.
• Sprinkle in half of the shredded cheese.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl very lightly, then pour them into the pan. Tilt the pan a bit to let the egg mixture drip into the many nooks and crannies of your sauce. Do not mix it through too much. Top with remaining cheese.
• Cover and cook them several minutes, or until the eggs are starting to set. Remove from heat and let the eggs finish cooking in the warm sauce, a few minutes more. If you prefer your eggs more set, just cook them longer as desired.
• Sprinkle with fresh herbs, crumbly feta cheese and spicy chili flakes. Serve with warmed bread or tortillas.

MENEMEN

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, chiles, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until onions are soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, with their juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add eggs to the skillet, tilting the skillet until eggs cover skillet completely. Do not mix. Cook until eggs are set, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Top with basil and feta cheese.

MENEMEN RECIPE: TURKISH SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and season with kosher salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly until softened (being careful not to brown the onions).
• Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with a little more kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, and Aleppo pepper. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften but still hold their shape (5 to 7 minutes).
• Push the tomato and pepper mixture to one side of the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the beaten egg, and cook briefly, stirring gently as needed, until the eggs are just set. Fold the tomato mixture into the eggs.
• Finish with a little EVOO and more Aleppo pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if you need a little kick. Serve immediately with thick slices of bread.