Menemen Turkish Scrambled Eggs

Turkish breakfasts are legendary and Menemen is a wonderful Turkish recipe for scrambled eggs with tomato and capsicum peppers. You don't have to leave the house for a hot breakfast or brunch. Instead make this wonderfully easy but delicious dish at home! This is perfect for breakfast or brunch and is a pushy recipe Dear Reader.

This egg dish Menemen dates back to the Ottoman empire. The word "Menemen" refers to a city that is located 35kms away from the centre of Izmir, Turkey. Some say that the dish was first made by shepherds in the Aegean region of Turkey who had easy access to eggs, tomatoes, onions and capsicum peppers.

Today Menemen has become very popular in Istanbul, frequently appearing on breakfast menus throughout the city. It is served with bread on the side and cheese is an optional addition. Kasar, feta or white cheese is also used or a range of crumbly or melty cheeses. It is usually served in the pan in which it is cooked. My extravagant use of cheese at the end is all my doing. I had a big ball of mozz that needed using up and in it went where it was glorious. I have no regrets.

Tips for Making Menemen

1 - This is a very low intensity and easy dish that is easily made vegetarian so you don't need a lot of tips to make it.

2 - Sujuk or sucuk is a beef sausage, often sold in an oval ring shape. If you can't get sujuk, chorizo can be used as a substitute.

3 - Menemen pans or Sahan are small copper pans that range from 15cm-18cms (5.9-7inches) in diameter. I made my menemen in a small copper saucepan that was around 20cm/8inches in diameter. If your saucepan is much larger than you may have to adjust your ingredients up depending on how large it is.

4 - If you don't have Aleppo pepper try mixing sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Eggs and tomatoes are a great staple for a quick dinner! Other egg and tomato dishes are Chinese tomato eggs, Basque Piperade, Eggplant in Purgatory or Slow Cooker Breakfast Beans and Eggs

While menemen is commonly eaten for breakfast it can also be served for lunch or dinner. I actually served this at lunch a couple of weeks ago where Mr NQN and I invited Miss America, Queen Viv, Valentina and Peter over. I also had lamb kleftiko and a Cypriot Grain Salad on the table.

It only occured to me as I was taking the menemen over to the table to check, "Is it ok to serve Greek/Cypriot and Turkish food together?" I asked Valentina (who is Cypriot) because I know that there was some bad blood between the two countries in the past. My Greek and Turkish friends get on well but I do worry just in case. But it didn't bother Valentina and when she saw the Menemen and it reminded her of a Greek dish.

The Greek version of this dish is called strapatsada eggs that is popular in the Ionian islands. Eggs and tomatoes appear on a lot of menus and when I travelled to regional China I was surprised to see a delicious dish of tomato and scrambled eggs hit the table. This is a home style dish that is so simple and with Chinese flavours from Shaoxing wine, chilli and coriander!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you know of any other egg and tomato dishes? Have you ever tried Menemen?

Menemen

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 people with bread

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter for frying
• 1/2 onion, diced (around 125g/4ozs)
• 1 green capsicum pepper, chopped up into small pieces (around 150g/5ozs)
• 125g/4ozs sujuk beef sausage, cut into small pieces
• 300g/10.6ozs tomatoes, roughly chopped up
• 100g/3.5flozs tomato passata
• 1/4 cup/60ml/2flozs beef stock (if tomatoes aren't very watery)
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• Salt and pepper to season
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g/5ozs grated mozzarella
• 30g/1oz parmesan cheese
• Bread to serve

Step 1 - Heat half the oil or butter in a small frying pan on medium heat and add the onion and saute until starting to become fragrant. Add the capsicum pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes and starting to get soft. Add the sujuk and fry until starting to brown on the edges.

Step 2 - Add the tomatoes and passata. After 5 minutes or so, if the tomatoes release a lot of water then you may not need the beef stock but if yours don't then add the stock. Allow the tomatoes to soften and break down into a sauce. Add Aleppo pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3 - Add the beaten eggs and stir into the tomatoes gently. Then sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top and then the parmesan and then place a lid on top and allow the cheese to melt. Serve straight away while hot with some bread.