Menemen

Classic Turkish menemen with softly scrambled eggs, tomatoes and green peppers cooked in olive oil.

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Menemen is a beloved Turkish breakfast dish. The eggs should remain soft and creamy rather than dry, and the vegetables should be cooked down before the eggs go in.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs (large)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 green Turkish peppers (thinly sliced)
• 4 ripe tomatoes (peeled and diced)
• 0.75 tsp fine salt (or to taste)
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 tsp Aleppo pepper (optional)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, optional)
• crusty bread (to serve)

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the tomatoes and half the salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the tomatoes break down and most excess liquid evaporates.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat very lightly so the yolks and whites are only partly combined.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the eggs into the tomato mixture.
5. Stir slowly with a spatula, scraping the base and folding the mixture over itself rather than beating it vigorously.
6. Cook for 2–4 minutes until the eggs are softly set but still glossy. Remove the pan from the heat before they look fully firm because residual heat will keep cooking them.
7. Taste and season with remaining salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper.
8. Scatter with parsley if using and serve straight from the pan with plenty of bread.