Dish of Egg Menemem
(click to enlarge)

Menemem


Türkye
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2-1/2 #
***
50 min
Prep		 An very popular dish in Türkye and with people who've been to Türkye, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Quick and easy to make.




1-1/3
9
8
2/3
4
1/3
7
1
1/3
4
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ar
ar
ar
#
oz
oz
t
oz
c
lrg
t
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Tomatoes (1)
Green Peppers (2)
Onion (opt 3)
Chili Flake (4)
Tomato Sauce (5)
Cheese (opt 6)
Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil (7)
-- Garnish (any of)  
Parsley (flat)
Feta crumbled
Chili Flake
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Scald TOMATOES in boiling water 1 minute. Quench in cold water, peel and chop small. Keep all the juice with them.
  2. Chop GREEN PEPPERS very small.
  3. IF using, chop ONION fairly fine. Mix with Peppers.
  4. IF using CHEESE crumble Feta small, or grate Monterey Jack or Mozzarella.
  5. Beat EGGS very lightly, white and yolk still fairly separate.
  6. Chop PARSLEY for garnish.
Run   -   (25 min)
  1. Have everything ready - cooking goes fast and serving is immediate.
  2. In a wide, coverable pan, heat Oil or Ghee. Stir in Onion mix and fry stirring until Onions are translucent and Peppers are fairly soft.
  3. Stir in Chili Flake for 1 minute.
  4. Stir in Tomatoes, Salt, and Pepper (and Cheese if using). Simmer covered, stirring now and then,until tomatoes are quite soft, but take care it doesn't get too dry.
  5. Pour the Eggs over the Vegies and tilt the pan around to get them to soak into the Vegies. Let simmer covered until partially set, then tumble them into the Vegies and take off the heat. They will finish cooking from the residual heat, and should be very soft, USDA slightly "undercooked".
  6. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.
NOTES:

  1. Tomatoes:

      These should be very ripe. Canned Tomatoes can be used, including their juice. I skin the Tomatoes, but most recipes do not call for that. Turkish summer tomatoes are very large, so will have proportionally less skin.

  2. Onion:

      Opinions vary. Some say Menemen must have Onions at any time. Some use Onions for a main dish but not Breakfast. Some feel Onions do not belong in Menemen at all. Your choice. I use the Onions, White Onions which are a little less strong than Yellow.

  3. Green Peppers:

      Sivri Biber are recommended, but unavailable here in California. One person has found Shishito peppers to be an excellent substitute, but thy are not always available here. Many use Green Bell Pepper, but I prefer Green Anaheim Chilis. Green Italian Peppers would probably also work. If using Bell Pepper, which has thicker skins, I blast them black with my Kitchen Torch and brush the skins off under running water,

  4. Chili Flake:

      Aleppo Hot flake is the one to use, but Hot Paprika can also be used. You can use Aleppo Mild for folks with very strong chili aversion.

  5. Tomato Sauce:

      (optional) This is recommended especially if using Italian Plum Tomatoes as tend to be too dry. This should be a very simple tomato sauce. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style which comes in convenient 8 oz cans, but other simple sauces will also work.

  6. Cheese:

      Controversial, some feel cheese does not belong in Menemen at all, but some toss some crumbled Feta in with the eggs. Some garnish with Feta, and some allow a grated melty cheese like Mozzarella or Monterey Jack in just before the eggs and/or as a topping. In any case, not too much cheese.

  7. Olive Oil:

      In Türkye Sunflower Oil, Olive Oil, or Butter Ghee are all used.

  8. Comments:

      The photo example is a bit drier than usual, but suitable for folks concerned about "undercooked" eggs. While this dish is very popular all over Türkye, and with people who have been to Türkye, of my 11 Türkish cookbooks only one huge 510 page tome lists Menemen. Apparently it's just too common for cookbook authors to bother with.
  9. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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