BREAKFAST & BRUNCH, MIDDLE EASTERN
TURKISH SCRAMBLED EGGS – MENEMEN
- Timescale In A Hurry
- Serves 2
- Difficulty Simple
We discovered these glorious eggs whilst staying in Istanbul – one of our favourite cities to date. Looking for a quick breakfast fix we ducked into a small bistro with an inviting array of baked goods – upon asking for recommendations, the owner pointed directly to a single word on the menu – Menemen. Pushed for time, we opted for something we could eat quickly and ordered a selection of delicious local Pastries. We then proceeded to watch with escalating horror as every customer that followed us ordered the Menemen, only to be quickly served a mouthwatering dish. On our final day in Istanbul, we returned to order that same dish.
A delicious dish of soft scrambled eggs, cooked with tomatoes, peppers, lightly spiced and hoovered up with crusty bread – it was unquestionably worth the return. Our own version adds crumbled cheese and a spicy paprika butter to add extra levels of luscious spice to this dish. It has become a regular Sunday morning staple for us.
Ingredients
THE MENEMEN
4 Large Eggs, whisked
1 Small Onion, finely diced
½ Red Bell Pepper, diced (about 5mm chunks)
½ Green Bell Pepper, diced (about 5mm chunks)
2 Large Tomatoes, diced (about 5mm chunks)
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
½ tsp. Aleppo Chili Flakes, or regular dried chilli flakes
Generous Pinch of Salt & Pepper
THE PAPRIKA BUTTER
25g Salted Butter,
½ tsp. Paprika
TO COOK
Olive Oil
TO GARNISH
Turkish White Cheese or Feta, crumbled
Parsley, a few leaves roughly chopped
Dill, roughly chopped
TO SERVE
Toasted Bread
METHOD
THE PAPRIKA BUTTER
- Place a small pan over a medium heat and add the butter to the pan.
- Once the butter has fully melted, stir in the paprika, leaving over the heat for about 30 seconds to infuse. Remove from heat and set aside whilst you make the eggs.
THE MENEMEN
- Place a large frying pan over a medium heat with a lug of olive oil. Add the cumin seeds into the pan and cook for a minute or two until just starting to spit.
- Add the chilli flakes to the pan before adding in the onion, and both diced peppers. Cook for a minute or two until the onions and peppers are starting to soften. Add the tomatoes into the pan and cook for about 5-10 minutes until the ingredients have started to come together into an almost-sauce.
TIP – If you have a lid for the pan or one that will fit, adding it to the pan whilst the Onions Tomatoes and Peppers cook will speed the process up and keep the mixture from becoming dry.
- Add a knob of butter to the pan and once melted add in the eggs, gently stirring together to incorporate with the tomato and pepper mixture. Season with salt and pepper whilst the eggs are still runny, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the eggs are soft but cooked through.
- Serve the Menemen immediately topped with crumbled Turkish white cheese or feta, some chopped dill and parsley and a few teaspoons of the Paprika Butter drizzled over. Serve with toasted bread and the remaining Paprika Butter.
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